A US pro-life charity is celebrating twelve years of its free ultrasound programme, which has saved an estimated 358,000 babies from abortion.
The Option Ultrasound scheme, launched in January 2004 by Focus on the Family, has provided nearly 700 grants for new ultrasound machines at pro-life clinics, along with training on how to use them.
Communities where the abortion rate is particularly high are prioritised.
Compassion
Focus on the Family states that fifty-four percent of “abortion-minded” women end up keeping their babies after seeing a scan, hearing their baby’s heartbeat and talking with a counsellor.
Kelly Rosati, the charity’s Vice President of Community Outreach, commented: “Focus on the Family is here to care for women and their preborn babies, and the work done by pregnancy resource centres across the country in showing compassion and offering hope continues to give women courage to choose life”.
… abortion has really had a corrosive impact on the dignity and value that we all place on all human life
Kelly Rosati
She added that ultrasounds have been described as “a window to the womb” and give the woman “an opportunity to see for herself and to connect with her child”.
Spared the pain
Rosati pointed out that, as a result of these ultrasounds, mothers, fathers and other family members “have been spared the pain associated with an abortion decision”.
“Sadly, I think abortion has really had a corrosive impact on the dignity and value that we all place on all human life,” she said.
Option Ultrasound features stories on its website of women who rejected abortion after seeing a scan of their baby.
God’s plan
Joy, from Alabama, visited a pro-life clinic when she was considering abortion in her early twenties.
Joy changed her mind after being told that God had a plan for her child’s life, and seeing the baby’s heart beating during an ultrasound.
Option Ultrasound currently has more requests for grants than it can fulfil, and is looking for ways to partner with pro-life clinics to continue the work.
The scheme is funded entirely by charitable donations.
