Shortly after celebrating my birthday, my body was not in sync like I expected. I had to investigate all potential issues and my last option was a pregnancy test. I mean, it had been a whole year and we had a few scares, but they were just scares. My partner and I even had short conversations about what we would do in the instance I did get pregnant, and we initially decided that we would just get an abortion. But in the midst of these conversations, I told him that after a year of so many scares and interventions, “I don't know if I can do that."

Well, the time came to make that decision. I found out I indeed was pregnant after my birthday. I had to think fast. Before I agreed to an abortion, I wanted to know my next steps. First, was to find out how far along I was. I called two pregnancy centers: one mentioned how they could facilitate an abortion and the processes they offered for it; the other center told me that they did not assist with abortions, but they offered assistance with women who do choose that route. With me being indecisive and left to make this decision alone, I went with the center who seemed more supportive on both aspects from the beginning. That center was Daybreak.

Thankfully, I met with a counselor at Daybreak who was so relatable in the sense that she was a single mother, a devout Christian, and saw her clients as women first! I walked in feeling scared and alone, knowing the choice was mine, and left feeling supported, not judged. Daybreak facilitated tests to see how far along I was in my pregnancy, and I quickly learned it was too late for an abortion in South Carolina, so I decided to contact the other center again. I learned that I would have to lose about a week's worth of work, travel for hours, and sit in pain for days, alone. I continued visiting Daybreak and meeting with my counselor, but things started happening with my body that were concerning for my pregnancy. During this time, my counselor reminded me every step of the way to lean on my faith in God. There was never a pressure to choose life or not, but to choose faith.

This journey often felt lonely, but being reminded that my Heavenly Father was in control—and was always with me—helped me persevere. I received an ultrasound and saw my baby’s heartbeat and learned about the complications I did not know were present. I was advised to see a specialist where the OB told me my pregnancy may not even be viable. When I heard this, I thought, “Hmm... this is what we wanted initially anyway,” and another part of me thought, “What if this pregnancy makes it through?"

And that is what stopped me. Partially leaning on “the baby may not make it anyway," I was reminded to put my faith in God’s decision for my life. I knew if the baby did survive, he/she was meant to be here and God was not going to allow me to go through something I could not handle.

Time went on, and I was able to regulate the complications and had the best and easiest pregnancy. I could not have prayed for a better experience. Over a year later, my baby boy is flourishing. He is now 7 months old, and every day he reminds us why God wanted him in our lives. I chose my faith first and ended up with a blessing that no person saw coming.