Courtney’s Story

NJ.com: Against Abortion, A Devout Christian Turned to a Local Center | Opinion

Article appeared in NJ.com | By: Courtney Garaguso | Photo Credit: NJ.com

On top of breaking my mother’s heart again, I already couldn’t afford everything I wanted to give to my first child, like sports, nutritious food, clothing, birthday parties, and so much more. All those thoughts flooded through my head as I became convinced having a second baby would hinder the baby I already had.

So there I found myself at the abortion clinic — unbeknownst to anyone else in my world. Yet the image of my baby on that ultrasound changed everything. Fleeing the room to the parking lot, I cried in distress. Deep in my heart, I knew I should have gone back to Choices, where there was warmth and kindness. So that’s what I did. It was the hardest decision I had ever made with all the fears and unknowns that accompanied it.

I was eventually able to buy my own townhouse and provide a home for my daughters. Soon after, I reconnected with an old friend, who I fell in love with and am now blessed to call my husband. As we approach our 4-year anniversary, we are so thankful for how our girls have inspired, and continue to inspire, us to work hard. Today, we both have jobs that enable us to provide them with the upbringing I had so desperately wanted to give them.