Kayla’s Story

The Christian Broadcasting Network: For New Mothers, Support Can Be the Difference Between Life and Death

Article appeared in: The Christian Broadcasting Network | By: Kayla Henry | Photo Credit: Adobe Stock (stock photo)

I knew my daughter was not a mistake. I also knew that raising her was going to be very hard.

These competing realizations – prompted by a positive pregnancy test when I was just 15 – may have deterred some girls from choosing life. Thankfully, I didn’t have to undergo an unwanted abortion because I was blessed to have support.

The opposite is true for the 6 out of 10 American women with a history of abortion, who say a lack of support or resources pressured them into this undesirable choice. My experience has shown me that truly promoting a culture of life starts in the families, friends, and communities that show up and stand by women as they navigate the unexpected.

Many young women who have unexpected pregnancies in their teens face at least some level of abortion coercion. I feared such pressure because from the moment I saw the two pink lines on my pregnancy test, I knew I would never do anything to harm my beautiful baby.