Amanda W’s Story

Amanda was excited to be pregnant the first time she came to see us. As a first-time mom, Amanda said she didn’t know what steps to take or where to start. Amanda told us she appreciated the compassion and guidance she received at the Center as she navigated her first pregnancy.

Tragically, that pregnancy resulted in the stillbirth of her son Landon at 31 weeks. The devastating loss plunged her into darkness, despair, and a spiral of unhealthy choices. “I just crawled into a dark hole in my life and ran away from my family and God. I was ready to give up on living,” Amanda said.

When Amanda became pregnant again, fear and anxiety over the chaos and darkness in her life had her leaning toward termination. Amanda returned to the Pregnancy Center to discuss her situation and options. “I came to the Center saying, ‘I don’t want this baby; I can’t do this,'” Amanda said. “No one judged me. They met me in my state of shock with calm and caring and reassured me, ‘this isn’t the end of the world; you can do this.'”

“I would have regretted it deeply if I had not come to you first and had instead gone to an abortion clinic,” Amanda said. “I don’t know what my world would be without my daughter, Ayra. She brought light back into my life and helped pull me out of the dark place I was in.”

The Pregnancy Center referred Amanda to Embrace Grace, a community group where she rediscovered the love and mercy of Christ.  “I hadn’t been to church in so long,” Amanda said. “I was scared to face God. Embrace Grace helped me get out of that hole and remember how merciful the Lord is.”

Amanda’s third pregnancy was bittersweet. Amanda now understood the joy of motherhood but also felt convicted about the circumstances. “I knew I had to come to see y’all again,” Amanda said. “You were the first place I wanted to go.”  Amanda soon realized what a blessing it was for Arya to have a little sister. Now, with baby Ember a few months old, Amanda sees the reward firsthand. Arya loves being a big sister, and Amanda gets joy out of seeing them together.

We asked Amanda what she would say to the donors who supported her through her three pregnancies by funding the Center.

“I am very thankful for these services to care for women with nowhere to turn,” she said.” You offered the mental, physical, and emotional support I needed without judgment. You spread calm to those who are scared and stressed.”

Amanda recently attended a women’s conference. She said she was reminded of the Lord’s goodness and how He has been with her through it all. In Amanda’s story, the Lord used the gift of her daughters and the hands at the Pregnancy Center to speak love, peace, and redemption into her life.

Special thanks to Kellye French of Milk & Honey Photography for capturing these priceless images of Amanda’s family.