Colorado Springs, CO (LifeNews.com) -- Focus on the Family recently donated to a local pregnancy center the 500th ultrasound machine designed to help women contemplating abortion see an image of their unborn baby. The program is credited with saving as many as 81,000 children from abortions across the United States.The Option Ultrasound Program awards ultrasounds to qualifying pregnancy medical clinics.
The grants cover 80 percent of the cost for ultrasound machines or sonogram training, helping the medical clinics to confirm a healthy pregnancy for their clients.
The ultrasound machines do much more than provide a needed medical service, however -- they often introduce a woman to her preborn baby for the first time, giving her the chance to see a real-time image of the child inside her womb.
“We regularly hear from women who, years later, still regret and grieve their abortions. The desire to better serve these women, and the babies they carry, motivated Focus on the Family to start Option Ultrasound,” says Kelly Rosati, vice president of community outreach.
Rosati added, “Our purpose is to empower women with the information they need to make informed decisions. We're here to come alongside of them in their moment of need, offer them love – and help them find hope.”
What makes the pregnancy medical clinics in the Option Ultrasound Program Focus partners with unique is that they provide the women they serve with both counseling and ultrasounds.
Focus on the Family's research shows that the combined provision of counseling and ultrasound services result in nearly 60 percent more stated decisions for life than counseling alone.
Focus on the Family launched its Option Ultrasound Program in 2004 with the goal of giving abortion-minded women greater access to ultrasound services -- technology Rosati says not only helps women make informed decisions, but also supports their health.
“Ultrasounds give women an opportunity to bond with her baby early on,” says Rosati. “This experience encourages her to seek early prenatal care that protects both her health and that of her preborn child.”
“Life is a precious gift. At Focus on the Family, we're honored to help preserve it," she concluded.
Related web sites:
Focus on the Family - http://www.fotf.org