BELLA IS A YOUNG ADULT and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse. She has worked in multiple hospitals in Southern California over her short career. The road that led Bella (whose last name is being withheld for privacy) to this career was inspired by her encounter with pro-life ministry in high school. A presentation in a high school Confirmation program first introduced Bella to the horrific reality of abortion. She was especially appalled to learn how abortion hurts women emotionally and even physically.
Later in college, Bella began to encounter women who had an abortion among her classmates and friends. She noticed a psychological change in them as they dropped out of classes, went on anti-depressants and withdrew from their friends. As Bella observed the pain these women went through, she was convinced that abortion hurts women.
In college, Bella met the Students for Life organization at a SEEK conference. When she returned to her campus, she started a pro-life club with a friend at her university. The club grew to over 65 students 60-70 and Bella continued to learn from the resources provided by Students for Life that abortion not only hurts women, but also the baby, the father of the baby and the extended family.
After receiving training, Bella began to serve as a sidewalk counselor at abortion clinics. The first time she went to serve as a sidewalk counselor, other pro-life volunteers mistook her as a young woman seeking an abortion. The experience of being judged and yelled at motivated Bella to pray more at abortion clinics and to be gentle and approachable as she served as a sidewalk counselor. She prayed and offered to listen to women’s stories as they approached an abortion clinic.
As Bella pursued nursing in college, she did a rotation in a neonatal intensive care unit where she witnessed premature babies fighting for their lives. She saw that these babies were tiny human beings who could experience suffering. Bella decided to become a NICU nurse so she could keep serving these babies who were fighting for their lives.
“In the NICU everyone accepts that this a life that we want to save,” Bella observed.
After graduation, Bella began working a night shift in a NICU. On some days, she would go after her night shift to the abortion clinic. Still dressed in her nurse scrubs, Bella offered up being tired after a long shift, to counsel and to pray. She noticed more people seemed less threatened by her presence when she wore her nursing scrubs, and it made a difference to the women she talked to.
“I got to give a witness that I work at a place that saves life the same size as your child,” she shared.
Most women who Bella encountered at the abortion center broke down crying and told their story. Some would take pro-life materials and drive off. Some would ask questions. Some would ignore her. Regardless, Bella tries to take a joyful approach. She recognizes she is in a spiritual battle and gentleness is the correct stance. Instead of screaming at them, she makes eye contact and communicates that she cares about them and their unborn baby.
When women still go into the abortion clinic, Bella prays for them and prays to their guardian angel. She knows you won’t always know if you saved baby, but Bella has had a woman come up to her with a child and thank her for being there. This woman shared that because she saw Bella standing there in front of the abortion clinic, she changed her mind and drove away.
During this month dedicated to pro-life ministry, consider how the Lord is inviting you to participate in this ministry. Sidewalk counseling requires training, and it is something to prayerfully discern. However, we all can go and pray. Planned Parenthood admits the rates of abortions go down when people are standing outside an abortion center. Take your family, a friend or go with a pro-life group from your parish and pray for the women who are considering abortion. Pray for the babies who have died there and acknowledge the dignity of their lives. Support the Walking with Moms in Need initiative in your parish. Trust that God is at work in the hearts of all who are affected by abortion. Ask Our Lady to help you remain at the cross and not run away from suffering. Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn is praying with us.