“It’s been a hard day today, I’m not sure how to come to a decision.”
That was one of the first things Jodie said when she and her boyfriend Cole came to the centre for an after-hours appointment on a dark winter evening. Jodie’s face reflected the fear and shock she expressed. Cole was heavy hearted. You could see he loved Jodie, and he wanted what was best for her, but he just didn’t know what that best thing that was. He knew that raising a baby would cost money and he feared that he could not be the provider he wanted to be.
Abortion or parenting? Jodie and Cole were torn between the two options they were considering. They expressed so many mixed thoughts and emotions…
“We aren’t ready”
“We are too young”
“We don’t have enough money”
“This is so overwhelming”
“It’s just too hard to decide”
As Jodie and Cole continued to connect at the centre, things began to change. Jodie began to find her voice. Cole was no longer too shocked to take in what Jodie was saying … he was listening. They shifted from two scared individuals, to one couple wrestling through this decision together.
With support, they made a plan.
They explored what the choices of parenting or abortion would look like in their lives. What were the risks of each? Who would be there for them? They discovered that they were not alone. The centre had support for them, and so did the community around them. Then, more than a month after they first visited the centre, they sent a beautiful e-mail …
“On Friday we made the decision to keep the baby! I had my first ultrasound on Saturday. Everything is still being processed and it hasn’t fully sank in yet but we are excited!”
Click Here to Watch Jodie & Cole’s Story
Jodie and Cole are now expecting a beautiful baby girl and could not be more thrilled! The family members they were so afraid to disappoint are now helping them gather baby supplies. The finances they didn’t think they had are coming together. Cole says he loves Jodie and his baby girl in a way he didn’t know was possible. Jodie can’t wait to be a mom. They will undoubtedly face difficult times, but through this process they have found out that they can overcome challenges together.