“As of December 31, 2018, there have been some 41.9 million abortions performed in the course of the year, Worldometers revealed” (brietbart.com). Life is a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, yet, 41.9 million lives were ripped away before they were even able to leave the protection of their mother’s womb. Following the Roe v. Wade case in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States of America legalized abortion, thus leading to the staggering numbers of unborn children’s deaths in 2018, forty-five years later. “Planned Parenthood wants to be the judge, jury, and executioner of life” (Jay Sekulo). Just as all other topics, two sides emerged, the Pro-Choice and the Pro-Life.
Those on the side of Pro-Choice support abortion and deem the life of the baby to be in the hands of the woman; in protests, they chant: “Her body, her choice.” Pro-Life believers oppose this and think of the child in the womb as living and do not agree that the life is up to the woman to eradicate. In response to the Pro-Choice movement, Pro-Lifers have formed ways in which to lower the abortion numbers. One such example in Richardson, Texas: Prestonwood Pregnancy Center is a successful Pro-Life facility. The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center has been a force for Pro-Life around North Texas in the ways it has been able to reach women who desperately need help when they have found out that they are pregnant.
Created in 1991, the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center (PPC) is a facility with two offices in Dallas, Texas, as well as five locations where the mobile units travel. Providing counseling, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and classes for free has touched approximately 65,000 women. They specialize in crisis pregnancies, but also serve all pregnant women and even those with children under two. There is a fair mix between employees and volunteers. Confidentiality is a hallmark of the organization. On January 11, 2019, I arrived at the Richardson office of the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center. The outside was red brick with numerous trees, appearing as a normal medical office.
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Inside the building, glass doors led me into the PPC section of the shared building. The color scheme of teal and brown offered a feeling of comfort. On the left, a brown, leather couch sat against the wall while on the right a few chairs that were a mix of leather and fabrics were positioned. Directly in front sat a desk that stretched horizontally, touching each side of the wall, with a woman behind. Faux stone covered the wall with “Prestonwood Pregnancy Center” in silver letters alongside the logo. Herringbone-patterned, dark wood floors were under my feet until I reached the rug in the middle of the floor which matched the colors of the room. White countertops gave contrasts to the dark floors.
All in all, the room felt professional, but welcoming. A door on the right opened, and I stood facing the woman I had an appointment with. Celene shook my hand and smiled at me as she introduced herself. She ushered me around the center. First, she showed me the medical area where they perform pregnancy tests and ultrasounds. It was a petite room with a medical bed. White walls and grey equipment gave a comforting, professional outlook. We continued to the hallway, blue walls on the right while a few counseling rooms were to the left.
After walking into one of the counseling rooms, the comfort settled in. On the right sat a couch while two chairs opposed it the fairly undersized room, forming a sense of ease in a place with customers filled with fear or regret. Delving into Prestonwood Pregnancy Center’s solution to the abortion issue, I was able to gain a better understanding of their stance. Just the Richardson location alone is able to assist 6,180 women per year. Most commonly, girls in the age range of 17 through 20-year-olds arrive at their clinic for support. The customers are a mix of Asians, Africans, Hispanics, and Europeans, but the majority are unemployed. Thus, the attraction to this particular clinic is because of their free services.
Most of the women are considering either an abortion or parenting. Through the emphasis on prayer in the PPC, most leave the clinic with the decision that they will carry their baby to term. In order to help each woman, the PPC keeps in touch with their customers to make sure that everything is going smoothly. Although the organization endeavors to assist the women, they refuse to pressure their clients into a choice. The PPC does not look to change the minds of the customers who walk through their doors.
“Our purpose is to come along women, meet them where they are at, and love on them,” said Celene. PPC provides information about abortions and offers post-abortion counseling, but does not directly attempt to influence the woman. If the woman chooses to carry to term, PPC will give continued support and help her in every way possible. If the woman chooses to have an abortion, the PPC offers counseling and their support to help her, if she accepts it. All in all, the issue of abortion is an extremely emotional, social issue in the United States of America. Taking the lives of 41.9 million unborn children in just one year, the dispute is an obvious injustice of murder. In order to impact this issue for Christ, Prestonwood Baptist Church created the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center.
Looking to help women with crisis pregnancies, thousands of women around North Texas have been touched. Over 6,000 women were helped by one location in just one year. The growth of the PPC is crucial to the survival of unborn children in North Texas. “This is the business of abortion. They worship at the altar of abortion” (Jay Sekulow). The legalization of the murder of unborn babies is the civil rights issue of our lifetime.
