When I found out that I was pregnant, I froze with disbelief.” After not feeling like herself for a few days, Em* took a pregnancy test. She couldn’t overcome the feeling that something was different, and she was right. Seventeen and pregnant, that one test changed her life in the blink of an eye.
Soon after taking the test, she asked her parents to go over to her boyfriend, Kyle’s*, house. Before Em could even share the results with Kyle, he guessed the news. “I was shocked, but happy,” Kyle said.
Sharing the news with Kyle was the easy part. The hard part was telling their parents.
Kyle and Em desired to parent their unborn child, but their parents were pressuring them to abort their baby instead. Confused at whom to listen to, Kyle and Em searched the internet for answers, and stumbled upon Hope in Northern Virginia.
“We were looking for somebody to talk to. I Googled ‘teen pregnancy,’ and Hope came up,” Em explained.
“When I first walked into Hope, I loved the hospitality,” Kyle said. “It was a safe zone where we were able to talk through [the pregnancy] confidently.”
Kyle and Em left their first visit feeling supported in their decision to parent their child.
“Coming out of Hope, I had the confidence that no matter how my parents reacted to us keeping the baby, we would have somebody we could turn to,” Em explained. “No matter how they responded, we had resources at Hope to get on our own feet, if necessary.”
By hearing that Hope had supported women just like her, Em felt reassured that she and Kyle were making the right decision. Through participating in Bright Course (Hope’s educational programming), she further gained a sense of reassurance and comfort for their adventure ahead as parents.
“What you stand for is giving us hope,” Em said. “I am glad that we had somebody to give us the confidence. You gave us the reassurance that we weren’t making the wrong decision.”
The information they learned from the program and Hope’s staff was invaluable, and allowed them to discuss and make decisions about their child’s future. This future was only made possible because of Hope, and because of supporters like you.
“The peace that we have walked away with from going through the programs at Hope, that were made possible by your gifts is invaluable; one that allows us to feel excited about our journey ahead. Thank you for [enabling] this place to exist. It really is helping a lot of people like Kyle and me.”
*names changed on request