Pushed to the limit

This real story is exerpted from an article titled "Pushed to the limit" by Jeff Meredith, in the Care Net Report, Winter/Spring 2009. Copyright is held by Care Net.

Childbirth is stressful under the best of circumstances. But when a family is struggling with extreme poverty and other hardships, the prospect of raising a child can seem overwhelming. Two years ago, Yvonne Aguero's life was spiraling out of control ... fast. First, her husband lost his job. Then, on her way to work one day, she was in a bad car wreck. With finances already tight, they couldn't afford to fix the car – and she could no longer commute to work. As a result, Yvonne says, "We were living at a motel – and we were not getting along at all. There were a lot of fights." Then Yvonne discovered she was pregnant.

Yvonne didn't want an abortion, but as her husband said, "I can't see having a baby in these conditions." The young couple didn't know what to do. Yvonne didn't want an abortion, but she already had two children she couldn't take care of who were living with her mother. And as her husband said, "I can't see having a baby in these conditions." Yvonne's family offered to help ... but only if she agreed to abort her baby. Yvonne knew abortion was wrong. But how could she argue, when she could hardly take care of herself – let alone the children she already had? "It was the most hopeless feeling I've ever had in my life," she says. "I wanted to die. I didn't see any way out." Even at her darkest moments though, Yvonne was certain "I can't live with an abortion. This child is mine and it's a blessing."

Yvonne found a pregnancy center in the yellow pages. When Yvonne discovered these resources were available for her, she called to make an appointment right away. Despite the crushing stress in Yvonne's life, that first meeting gave her the confidence she needed to choose life. The day after that meeting, Yvonne's situation already began to improve. That's when she and her husband were accepted to a shelter for families, and they were reunited with her two older children. When Yvonne gave birth to her daughter, it helped heal the rifts with her husband and family. "She's brought all of my family back together. She's been a blessing to her dad. It's just amazing."