MORRISTOWN — Thanks to the anonymous donation of someone who cared deeply about seeing young women make the right choices even when those women often found themselves in desperate situations, the Pregnancy Crisis Center, which is sponsored by Nolachucky Baptist Association here, is now equipped with a new ultra-sound machine which not only confirms pregnancy but also shows the life of the tiny human being inside the mother’s womb.
Lanette Breeden, who is the director of the center, is quick to admit that she hopes the ultra-sound machine will serve a greater purpose than simply confirming pregnancy, which is the “politically correct” term for what the machine is meant to do. Breeden said she hopes it will do something else: Reduce the number of abortions in the Lakeway Area.
“Studies have shown that once a mother actually sees the child inside her womb, once she sees the heartbeat and is able to take home a picture, then the chances she will choose to terminate the pregnancy via abortion are lowered,” Breeden noted.
“If we save one baby, then this is all worth it. Yet, we hope this will not only be a great tool for confirming pregnancy but also for saving many lives,” Breeden said.
Although the donation for the machine was made more than a year ago, the process of getting the machine took a long time due to having to get certifications and meet all the requirements associated with having such a hi-tech piece of equipment in the office.
“The machine has to be operated by someone certified to do so. So we are very blessed in that we have great Christian nurses and people like Dr. William Harris who volunteer their time to do this for us,” Breeden said.
While Harris won’t be giving prenatal care at the clinic, he and other medical staff as well as the center’s very well trained staff are available to help answer questions, help young women make good choices and to point them in the direction they should go for various resources.
“We don’t ever want anyone to get the impression that we are here to take over the prenatal care of any woman or child. We are simply here to support the mother, to encourage her and to help her in her role as a parent. We offer resources like maternity clothes, baby equipment, baby clothes and an assortment of other stuff. Yet even that is stuff that we like to see the girls earn after they have taken some parenting classes. We are here to teach young women and to help guide them, not to judge or boss them,” Breeden said.
Breeden said she is especially excited about the new ultra-sound machine equipment because it serves such an important role even for mothers who never considered abortion in the first place.
“Sure, there are some desperate girls and young women who may change their minds about abortion after seeing their child inside their womb. And for that we are overjoyed. For other women, it inspires them to take better care of themselves and it helps them digest the reality that they are going to be a mother soon. And as we all know, motherhood changes our lives forever. We want these young mothers to be as prepared as possible for this amazing life change,” Breeden said.
Breeden points to a tanking economy as one of the reasons the clinic has seen more than double the number of women walk through the doors this year than in years past.
“We see this as a great opportunity though. The more women who come here, the more opportunities we are given to somehow show them through our love that God cares for them and their babies. We have a great ministry here and are so thankful for the Nolachucky Baptists for their support in this endeavor,” Breeden said.
More than 200 women walked through the doors last month. Breeden admits it is a lot of work, given that the center has only three employees; but she credits the more than 40 Baptist volunteers for the success the center has seen in the two decades the center has been opened to the public, free of service.
Harris, a member of Manley Baptist Church and a local OB-GYN, volunteers as the medical director for the center. He said he counts it an honor to be a part of a program that could potentially change the lives of mothers and their children for an eternity.
“The medical personnel that we have volunteering here who work in this profession as a way of life are very good at what they do. They are well trained professionals, and they have these young women’s best interest at heart, just as the staff and volunteers of the center do. That is a great thing to be said about this clinic. These are selfless people who give of their time and themselves freely,” Harris said.
Breeden said her work has become a passion in her life.
“I love knowing that I can come in here and potentially help scared, sometimes very desperate mothers make good choices. Because of what the volunteers and association has done to equip us with resources, we are able to meet many needs these women and babies have. That is a great investment in the kingdom of God. We are thrilled to have people who show God’s love for people by loving these young mothers,” Breeden said.
Breeden said she is enough of a realist to know that every young mother doesn’t decide to keep her unborn child. And that’s where the new ultra-sound machine comes in.
“We really are excited about this machine. And though we know that there will be mothers who will still go through with an abortion, we feel it is our responsibility to offer them the opportunity to see their baby, to know they can get help and to know that they are not alone in what they are facing. It is our responsibility to love them like God loves us,” Breeden said.
The center is located at 304 Calvary Dr. in Morristown. For information on making donations in the form of any sort of baby or prenatal equipment, call Breeden at (423) 587-2273.
— Cody, of Morristown, is a correspondent for the Baptist and Reflector.
