How a sonogram and a bus changed everything
By Katie Doryland
After a long year of pandemic restrictions, the staff at Arkansas Pregnancy Center (APC) finally had the chance to take their mobile medical unit, Holly, out into the community. Staff members and new volunteers worked hard to secure a parking spot near their community’s local Planned Parenthood. Meanwhile, the center began prepping the unit and restocking medical supplies and resources so they would be able to perform free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds for women in the community.
Everything was going smoothly until the day before the launch. A staff member checked the sonogram machine, and to her dismay found that it was no longer working.
Tracy, the executive director at APC, immediately called the service department to get the machine fixed. But there were no technicians available until the following morning.
Tracy texted the news about the sonogram machine to the clinical director Janet*. She was worried they might have to delay their trip.
Janet responded: “God’s got this.”
But the next morning, there was still no call. After much deliberation and prayer, the staff decided to move forward with their mobile outing for the day with no working sonogram.
Then the mobile unit’s sonographer, a healthcare professional who specializes in doing ultrasounds, showed up. Tracy told her that, sadly, the machine was broken.
“We can provide pregnancy tests, but not ultrasounds,” Tracy explained.
But the sonographer just smiled.
“I just so happen to have a sonogram machine in my car we can use,” she said smile.
The pregnancy center was able to get back on the road, and a few hours later Janelle* boarded the mobile unit.
She was en route to Planned Parenthood to take the abortion pill. But on her way she prayed that God would show her a sign on whether or not she should go through with the abortion.
Then she saw the brightly colored mobile unit.
“I knew that was my sign,” Janelle told the staff on the unit.
She wept as she saw her baby on the screen with a fully formed body. That day, Janelle chose life for her baby, despite being scared.
At that moment the staff and volunteers knew Janet had been right- God’s got this.
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Pregnancy centers like Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center work hard to care for the women in their communities. To find a pregnancy center partner near you, click here.
Find more stories of hope here.
*Names changed to protect the identity of staff and clients.
