Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author. Live Action News has made minor edits for clarity.
Martha* pulled up in tears to the abortion provider’s office. All she wanted was an ultrasound to find out if her baby was still alive. Filled with regret, Martha no longer wanted the abortion she thought was a solution. Just the day before, she had been told by Planned Parenthood that there was no way to stop the abortion pill process she had begun, but this hopeful mother raced to find another solution. That was the moment everything changed.
When Planned Parenthood said there was no way, a Sidewalk Advocate stepped in to help
When she had visited Planned Parenthood, she was given a dose of mifepristone — the first drug in a chemical abortion — and was sent home with the second drug (misoprostol) to be administered later. But before she could take the second drug to finish the abortion, she was flooded with regret. She asked the staff at the Planned Parenthood she had visited if anything could be done to stop the process, but was reportedly told there was nothing that could be done, and that she should take the second drug and finish the abortion.
“You have to go through with it, just take the second pill,” said Planned Parenthood staff.
Unwilling to take no for an answer, the next day Martha visited a different abortion facility, hoping she would be able to have an ultrasound and check on her baby. Outside of that facility she met a volunteer (who has chosen to remain anonymous) with Sidewalk Advocates For Life (SAFL), a national outreach group dedicated to helping abortion-seeking women to find life-affirming alternatives.
“Do you have an appointment?” asked the Sidewalk Advocate. “I can help.”
What would be needed to attempt to counteract the effects abortion pill would be a high dose of progesterone.
Jen, a California SAFL chapter leader, said her team was able to get Martha an ultrasound from a local clinic, along with the progesterone dose she needed to continue to sustain the life in her womb. “Within several hours, the team was able to confirm a heartbeat through an ultrasound,” said Jen.
Martha said that while she was receiving support from Sidewalk Advocates, she received a letter from Planned Parenthood, encouraging her to make a follow-up appointment and suggesting that she finish taking the second drug of the chemical abortion. Martha said she crumpled up the letter and threw it away.
Reportedly, weeks later, Martha was able to receive an additional three ultrasounds, all revealing her unborn baby was still alive and kicking. In a follow-up meeting with the woman and her boyfriend, the volunteer with SAFL said the couple was very excited about their baby, and that the baby was very active in the ultrasounds — a good sign.
Months later, Martha gave birth to a healthy baby girl!
Prayer and help, not protest
Jen with SAFL explained, “We’re simply here to share information. Our heart is that women would just be fully informed before they walk in and make a very life-long decision. Everything is compassion led. Our signs say, “mom hugs,” and we’re friendly faces — we’re very approachable and a safe place.”
In an opinion piece for The Washington Times, Sidewalk Advocates For Life Founder, President, and CEO Lauren Muzyka said she founded the organization in 2014 for exactly this type of outreach — “a loving, peaceful presence on the sidewalk outside sites that perform abortions, providing women with life-affirming resources that abortion providers will not – resources that help them understand that, whatever challenging circumstances they face, they can choose life for their babies.”
On its web page, SAFL says that an estimated 952,600 abortions were committed in the U.S. from January to November 2023, adding that approximately 777 abortion and abortion-referral facilities were operational in 2023. Reportedly, 34% of these facilities are covered by SAFL’s peaceful, prayerful sidewalk outreach.
Muzyka said SAFL has served more than 21,000 women since 2014, and has helped to save more than 21,000 babies from abortion.
“Abortion pill reversal is possible if, before taking that second pill, a woman receives a high dose of progesterone. Abortion pill reversal is science-based. It gives pregnant women choices: if they regret taking that first pill, they have an opportunity to act on their change of heart,” said Muzyka.
SAFL Outreach Specialist Nate Robertson said that for years, he has served as a Sidewalk Advocate, reaching out to women entering abortion facilities or facilities that refer out-of-state for abortion, to point them in the direction of the resources they need to really address the problem at the root of their visit to the facility. Sometimes these include health concerns, housing problems, financial issues, and so on.
Robertson said sometimes those passing by shout ugly things at the sidewalk advocates or make rude gestures, somehow mistaking their peaceful, prayerful outreach for an anti-abortion protest. But far more often than not, the response they receive is favorable; many people tell them they are thankful they are out there.
Robertson said so many Sidewalk Advocates have stories of individuals coming up to them while they’re on the sidewalk, saying, “I wish someone had been there for me, like you are today, when I came for my abortion appointment.”
SAFL’s outreach makes it clear, even to very staunch abortion supporters, that the group is not there to protest but to help women in need.
“When we have an encounter like this woman, who was lied to by the abortion facility that told her she had no choice but to continue with her chemical abortion – well, that’s why we’re out there. That’s our mission, to help women see that they do have choices, and there is help available to them,” Robertson said. “Encounters like this make all the challenges worthwhile!”
For more information on Sidewalk Advocates For Life, visit their webpage at sidewalkadvocates.org.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
