A FRIEND’S STORY: My birth mom was abortion-minded

LaDonna Jones was matched with birth mom because of her compassion and personal experience.

As a young woman, I was pregnant several times … and aborted.  Since then I’ve experienced God’s forgiveness and healing, and now I’m passionate about talking to people about abortion’s hurts.  
 
I was matched with Sofia*, a 26-year-old woman who was abortion-minded.  Her initial call to Birthmothers was a plea for funds to terminate her pregnancy.  As she talked with Birthmothers staff members, they encouraged her to check out all her options. 

To help Sofia understand the stages of fetal development, a Birthmothers staffer invited her to visit a pregnancy care center.  Later, I took her to a sonogram appointment.  Sofia desperately wanted to know her date of conception so she could determine the birth dad. “I don’t know who the father is,” she confessed at one point, clicking off three names including her current boyfriend. 
 
“Regardless of which man is the father,” I said, “This baby is yours.”
 
In the days and weeks that followed, I noticed that Sofia stopped talking about aborting and began discussing parenting. “What made you change your mind?” I asked her.
 
“You pointed out that no matter what, this baby is mine,” she said.
 
Since then, I’ve been able to talk with Sofia deeply about faith.  I’ve explained that my decisions to abort were not courageous. Sofia believes in God.  When she chooses a personal relationship with God, her life will change dramatically.  I plan to be around for that.  I’m committed to being Sofia’s Friend for a long, long time.

*name changed for confidentiality