“Heather” came in with her boyfriend seeking abortion information. Years ago, she had been pregnant and had taken the abortion pill. She had such severe complications that she had to be hospitalized for bleeding and needed to have several blood transfusions.

Jazmyn, a 22-year-old college student still living at home, arrived at Chicago’s Southside Pregnancy Center in need of help. In her mind, abortion was a practical solution for her situation. She didn’t want to be an unwed mother; didn’t want to tell her parents; and she admitted she was scared and felt “stuck.”

“Sapphire” came to Parkville Women’s Clinic (PWC) wanting abortion information. As the nurse told her about the abortion procedure, tears ran down her cheek. She was given an ultrasound, and she saw her baby at 9-weeks. Her response: “I don’t think I can do this.” Did she mean she couldn’t go through with the pregnancy?

“How much does an abortion cost without insurance?” was the message “Annie” left on a Vitae online form. As quickly as Annie submitted the form, an alert “ding” notified the scheduler at Willowbrook that a woman needed help. Immediately, a phone call was placed to Annie to schedule an appointment so she could receive necessary, critical information before any decisions were made to abort the baby.

Shayla’s hands were full. She was already a single mother parenting a one-year-old. She had growing concerns about the relationship with the father of this baby. She had limited support from friends and family, and daycare costs were burdensome. Additionally, Shayla had dreams of her own. She wanted to go back to school and pursue a career in the medical field, but feared she would never reach her own goals.