Camille did not fit CompassCare’s typical patient profile. She is married and has several children. After making it clear that she was undecided about this pregnancy, she looked her nurse in the eye and said, “I’m looking for a place that won’t judge me.” Her nurse assured her that CompassCare was not interested in judging her but in giving her all the facts and information she will need to make the best decision possible.
Softened, Camille described why she did not want to be pregnant. She and her husband were experiencing, what she called “marital issues”. They also were concerned about their financial situation. But most of all, Camille said he wanted her to abort…again. Camille, with a look of deep regret on her face, said that last time she had changed her mind just before the procedure and her husband convinced her to go ahead with the abortion.
Having a previous history of abortion is an additional risk-factor for a woman and is a significant indicator that she will abort again. This was true for Camille; she had had multiple abortions and said that although they had traumatized her, there really was no other option. This was why she so desperately wanted a nonjudgmental environment.
Camille’s demeanor started to change during her ultrasound as her 7-week-old baby showed on the screen. The ultrasound seemed to excite her about another pregnancy and another chance. During the gospel presentation, Camille confessed that she had a hard time with forgiveness because of her past abortions. “How could God ever forgive me?” she asked her nurse. Her nurse gently shared with her that forgiveness from God was not based on her goodness but on the goodness of His Son, who died to set her free. Camille, with tears flowing down her face, prayed to God for forgiveness and help.
Camille still had many risk factors that could have caused her to cave to the pressure her husband was putting on her to abort. But when her nurse gently asked her what she was now planning on doing, Camille excitedly proclaimed, “I’m going to keep my baby!”