Amanda C., RN
Where did you grow up and go to school?
I grew up in metro Detroit, Michigan, and went to nursing school at the University of Detroit Mercy. I recently graduated from nurse practitioner school at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan.
Share with us about your family.
In addition to my parents, I am blessed with 3 siblings: a younger sister, younger brother, and older sister (4 siblings if you count my older sister’s husband!). I have extended family in metro Detroit as well as in Toronto, Macau, and Vancouver.
Tell us about what brought you to pregnancy help and the pro-life movement.
After watching the movie Unplanned in January 2020, I was amazed at how many tangible, practical ways there are to help and support women facing unexpected pregnancies. Since the movie portrayed 40 Days for Life and sidewalk advocacy as a positive and effective way to minister to abortion-minded women, after learning more about 40 Days for Life and Sidewalk Advocates for Life, I was inspired to go out and pray in front of a Planned Parenthood facility in my area. There, I got to meet a wonderful local community of faithful 40 Days for Life and Sidewalk Advocates for Life volunteers. Even though I have always been pro-life, praying outside of Planned Parenthood was the first time I actively got involved in the pro-life movement.
What brought you to Heartbeat International?
One day while praying on the sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood, I noticed one of our pro-life signs had a website on it. I went home that night and looked it up. I saw the many organizations that our community was partnered with, and near the bottom, I saw Abortion Pill Reversal. Since I had never heard of that before, I looked it up and found their website and started learning about the reversal process. I read some success stories and some of them mentioned talking to a hotline nurse about reversal. Something inside me sparked and I thought to myself, “I want to do that.” I found Heartbeat International’s contact information on the website and sent an email asking how I could get involved. When I heard that they were looking to grow their nurse hotline team, I jumped at the opportunity to join.
Tell us about your experiences helping women on the Rescue Helpline.
It’s exciting, challenging, and rewarding all at the same time. I truly appreciate the unique opportunity I have to help and serve the women who call our hotline seeking reversal treatment. Being able to be there for them in moments of desperation and provide them with real help and hope and a chance to save their babies has been one of the greatest honors I’ve had as a nurse. While not every case is a success story, the women who call us are so appreciative and grateful for the help that our nurse hotline team provides, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.
What has surprised you the most about the Rescue Helpline?
When I first started on the hotline, I didn’t expect a lot of the challenges that I eventually realized come with being a hotline nurse. Some of the women who call our hotline and are initially interested in reversal end up backing out after we get off the phone with them and choose to follow through with the abortion. At times some unfortunately miscarry before getting the chance to start the progesterone or shortly after they have started it. This is always heartbreaking. It was (and still is) a learning process of how to cope and manage my emotions effectively in response to the difficult situations that arise while working on the hotline.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
There are so many things I enjoy about being a hotline nurse. In addition to being able to love and care for women in such a tender and tumultuous time in their lives, one of my favorite things is hearing the success stories from the women I was able to help start reversal and seeing pictures of their babies that were saved through the reversal treatment. It’s always such a sweet reminder of how special our work is. Every successful reversal means another precious life is saved and another mother is beyond grateful for the opportunity to have her child in the world.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I enjoy running, playing volleyball with friends, doing puzzles, knitting, and watching movies and TV shows with my family. I also like baking, traveling, and serving at church in the worship music ministry and as a youth leader for the high school students.
What else would you like to share?
Some encouragement from Scripture for all of us in the pregnancy help movement:
“And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” -2 Thessalonians 3:13
