Maria's Story: Pregnancy Support
Maria found herself working with Pregnancy & Adoption Support (PAS) during the most traumatic time of her life. Maria was recently 18, pregnant and on the run. Maria’s family was looking for her and they had become too abrasive and threatening; she was no longer welcome at the home she’d been staying the last few nights. Maria knew that in her culture, pregnancy outside of marriage was shameful. Her family had demanded she terminate her pregnancy, when she refused, she realized that she was no longer safe. Maria wanted the best possible life for the child she carried and determined to figure things out, even though it required her to flee her home and family and fend for herself.
On Tuesday morning, Maria came into our office and shared her story. Maria and her pregnancy counselor spent the day calling different shelters and maternity homes but no one could take her that day so PAS made arrangements for short term housing while a long term plan was being developed. During those three days, this resilient young woman and a rotation of pregnancy counselors accomplished a great deal, some examples being:
Contacted and collaborated with law enforcement regarding safety concerns
Provided immediate and ongoing counseling focused on coping with the stress of the situation
Made plans to obtain a government ID
Purchased essential clothing, groceries and toiletries
Shared a meal with her each day
PAS referred Maria to multiple housing programs and advocated for her to be considered for one maternity home who completed the intake and accepted her into their program. Maria will be able to remain here for up to two years after she has her baby. To strengthen her support systems, PAS also:
Introduced her to a local support person who will be a mentor and friend
By Friday, Maria and her pregnancy counselor helped Maria to move into the maternity home and get her settled in. Maria now is in a situation in where she will begin to learn and practice life skills that will be essential for her success as a young professional and as a parent. Since connecting her with stable housing we have been able to:
Help Maria apply for and obtain employment
Assisted with applying for insurance and setting up prenatal care
Take her to the thrift store to purchase the items she needed for her work uniform
Help her to learn the bus system and acclimate to the area
Taken her to the local pregnancy center where she will have access to pregnancy and parenting classes and baby items and general support
Connected her with the local food banks and programs that provide a hot meal daily
Funded transportation to and from work for shifts that are outside of the bus route (until her first paycheck)
Maria has just started to settle into this new phase of her life and cope with the trauma and loss of everything she’d been through that has brought her to this point. She is very young and has much to learn but her resolve is strong, and her future is bright. We have only just started to walk this path with Maria but will remain with her beyond pregnancy as she becomes a parent and begins to navigate all of the unique challenges that come with that role.
If you or someone you know is facing an unplanned pregnancy, help is available.
Visit our website to learn more.