The unplanned happens all the time. Life is full of things that we wish would happen, things that do happen, and things we’d rather not have happened. Some unplanned things are fairly easy to adjust life to, some take time to figure out and others can simply push us to the threshold of our wit and ability to problem solve. But nothing is impossible.

Lea had come to Clearway because she was facing an unplanned pregnancy. But instead of the unexpected pregnancy pressing her to her limits it was the father of the baby. She knew she wanted to keep the baby. Lea had great family support and knew she could parent; she wanted to parent. Lea believed that Henry, the father of the baby, would be a good dad because he already had a three year old. But he was determined not to have another.

The father of the baby knew her intentions to parent, but he preferred that she aborted and pressed her to do so. Lea kept talking to him. She really wanted to parent and felt somehow she might be able to get him to come around.

“Give me a good reason why you want to have this baby,” Henry demanded, “and I won’t harass you anymore about wanting to keep it.” What could she say? A “good reason” to be a mother? A woman doesn’t need a “reason” – she just knows. Lea was patient and held onto hope that Henry might agree to parent with her.

When she returned to Clearway for a repeat ultrasound Lea mentioned that she thinks he is softening because in one of their conversations he mentioned that he would want the baby to have his last name.

Many women don’t have the ability or permission to contradict the father of the baby’s wishes and often end in termination. Sometimes it takes time for a life changing event to be figured out and become accepted especially by the father of the baby. Lea was determined to parent even if he didn’t support her – that is a courageous miracle.