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January 25, 2022ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (CNS) -- Serenity and grace are two things Kayla credits for saving the life of her new baby girl.
"The Serenity Prayer is constantly teaching me to accept things I cannot change, have courage to change things that I can, and have wisdom to know the difference. Despite my shortcomings and failures, God's grace is sufficient," said Kayla, who used only her first name in an interview with Gulf Coast Catholic, the news outlet of the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
In 2020, the mother of two discovered she was pregnant with her third child and considered having an abortion.
"I was in a very uncertain place, in a sense, and I had this big decision to make. I had all my reasons why, and I decided I didn't want to go through with it," Kayla said.
At an abortion facility, she was administered the first pill in a series to induce a chemical abortion. The chemical procedure, commonly called the "abortion pill," is a two-part, two-day process.
Although Kayla took the first abortion pill at a facility, she was alone when it came time to continue with the abortion and felt a great sense of regret. God was calling her to keep her child, she said, and she was desperate to save the life of her baby.
"I just cried and held my stomach. I cried out to God to please save my baby," said Kayla.
Through an online search, she learned about the successes of the abortion pill reversal protocol, or APR. It's a way to counter the first abortion pill using a decades-old treatment utilized to prevent miscarriages by prescribing women progesterone.
"There's hope. Taking that first abortion pill doesn't mean you have to continue the abortion. It's definitely possible and probable to save the pregnancy," said Angela Bumpus, a women's health nurse practitioner at LifeChoices Family Medical Clinic in Lutz, Florida.
The clinic is part of a network of pregnancy rescue providers across the country, on call 24/7. Through a helpline, women are connected to local providers who start them on the APR process. The care continues with months of doctor visits to assess both the mom's and the baby's health.
Robyn Palmeri, a sonographer at LifeChoices Family Medical Clinic, was the first to show Kayla images of her baby.
"For most women, when they come to my ultrasound room, it's the first time they see a live image of their baby and hear the heartbeat," said Palmeri. "When I showed Kayla her baby, she was elated. She asked if the baby was OK and when I told her the baby was OK, she was happy and peaceful."
Serenity Grace was born in January 2021.
"I had a happy, healthy, perfect baby girl. It works; the proof is in the pudding. God was with me every step of the way," said Kayla.
"If God hadn't stepped in and moved my heart to change my mind, my baby wouldn't be here today, because I would have followed right through with my decision," she said. "She's a blessing to our family, we're just so grateful to have her. And so grateful that he's a giver of life."