First Fruits Friday - Trauma
Every woman seeking an abortion has a story. Many times, she has been the victim of untold violence and and generations of family trauma. She has come to see her situation as inevitable, or worse, all that she deserves.
We recently met Andrea* after her abortion. At twenty seven years of age, this mother had been through many traumas. She witnessed unimaginable violence and was the victim of sexual assault at the hands of family members. When she finally spoke up to her grandmother, she was told “These things happen; and what happens in this house stays in this house." She later learned that her mother had experienced much of the same trauma.
She was alone, and even those who should have protected her, treated her trauma as nothing more than the expected.
Is it any wonder that this mother struggled to care for her own children and found herself seeking abortions? Estranged from her nine year old, this Mom had 3 abortions, 2 miscarriages and one stillbirth - his name was Michael. She told me this with tears in her eyes.
How did she get here to Seneca? She met our Sidewalk Advocates on the day of her abortion. After taking the chemical abortion pills at the abortion clinic next door, she called us looking for help. She had already taken both dosages of the abortion pill, so unfortunately, the Abortion Pill Reversal was not an option. Despite the abortion facility advertising the abortion pill as “less stressful ” she found herself in the midst of her abortion on the side of the road, alone, just as darkness crept in from the night. She was forced to seek medical care at a nearby hospital, in a city far from home she was just traveling through.
Andrea called us when she became pregnant again because as she stated, "You checked in with me, even after the abortion." Seneca was able to get her into counseling and other care that she needed.
Cycles repeat themselves. Her mother, and likely her grandmother, also experienced similar trauma. Breaking these cycles is possible, but it requires real resources, professional help, and healing in Christ . At Seneca, we are able to offer our clients a confidential environment to share their story. We have a trained counselor on site to assist clients like Andrea in long term healing. Our Pregnancy Loss team helps clients process miscarriage, abortion, and still birth and begin to heal those wounds. Our Seneca Sisters Support Group gives clients a safe and supportive place to meet and encourage other mothers trying to break their own harmful family cycles. Our Spiritual Director along with all of our prayer warriors, help clients pray through their pain and see God’s hand in their lives. Little by little, our clients learn to trust us, themselves, and God to heal their past trauma, guide them out of destructive behaviors, and plant seeds for a different future for themselves and their children.
This is what we mean in our vision:
“to create a culture of hope where the beauty of life is celebrated and healing is received.”
It is not easy, it is not quick, it is not always a straightforward path, but it is a worthy vision. Will you join us to help mothers like Andrea heal and break the cycles of trauma in their lives, thus choosing life for themselves and their babies?
*Name changed for confidentiality