USA (MNN) — The nine-month-pregnant mother was planning on leaving her baby at the hospital after the birth, allowed by Florida state law.
She didn’t know what else she could do. By her thirties, she already had four children and couldn’t handle bringing another one into the family.
She sat on the couch with her 11-year-old son. The baby could come any day. Then an advertisement appeared on the television and captured her attention.
“I’m pregnant, but I’m not in a position to care for this child,” the young woman in the advertisement said. “I want him to have a better future, to be with a family who will love him and give him the things that I can’t. I’ve learned that through adoption, I can choose the family who will raise him, and I can receive help through the rest of my pregnancy. Adoption just seems like the best option for him and for me.”
The Bethany Christian Services logo flashed. Her son looked up at her and said, “Mom, you really should call Bethany.”
The month of January is Sanctity of Human Life Month. Bethany recently came out with the first-ever national TV ad to highlight adoption as an alternative to abortion. The young Floridian woman’s story is just one of the many responses Bethany received after testing the ad back in November and early December.
Over 2.5 million unplanned pregnancies occur in the U.S. each year. Less than 1% of women with unplanned pregnancies choose adoption.
Marc Andreas, Bethany’s VP of Client Marketing, says, “Most women–or men for that matter–don’t know how adoption works today. It works very differently than it did a generation ago. A lot of women and men will ask questions about [if] they get to be involved in the child’s life, and today the answer is Yes.”
95% of adoptions today are open adoptions. This means the birth family gets to choose the family who will raise their child. They get to keep contact through things like pictures, letters, and e-mails. In many cases, they can even meet and see the child.
“Almost like a new definition of an extended family,” says Andreas. “It’s a beautiful picture of how adoption can help those with an unplanned pregnancy. They can move on with their life, while providing a great family that wants to raise this new child.”
Bethany, the nation’s largest adoption agency, teamed with Heroic Media last year for the concept of a national pro-adoption ad. Their timing couldn’t be more critical. Andreas says, “In January here, it is the 40th anniversary of the passing of Roe vs. Wade making legalized abortion in the United States. We at Bethany are proud to provide an alternative to abortion through our pregnancy counseling services."
And at the heart of Bethany is the hope of the Gospel. "Bethany Christian Services is a 100% faith-based organization," says Andreas. "Our values are what drive what we do. Our mission statement is one where we share the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in our service. We share the Gospel through our acts of service in caring for a mom no matter the situation she is in."
Pray for the direction of the nation concerning abortion to be stopped. Pray for adoption to be promoted to mothers as a beautiful alternative to abortion.
Watch the commercial or get bulletin inserts for your church to promote adoption with Bethany.
