Nov. 20, 2024

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heartbeat International is proud to announce that statistics show more than 6,000 lives have been saved through the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN), a remarkable milestone achieved even amidst intense opposition. While abortion activists deny the effectiveness of Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) and some state attorneys general have sought to discredit or silence this life-saving network, thousands of children are alive today because their mothers chose hope and sought help.

All major studies show that using progesterone to counteract an in-progress chemical abortion can be effective. Progesterone is bio-identical to the hormone a woman’s body naturally produces to sustain pregnancy, and it has been safely used with pregnant women and their babies since the 1950s. To date, statistics show over 6,000 women have had successful abortion pill reversals, and that number grows higher every day.

These 6,000 children—enough to fill 200 kindergarten classrooms—represent lives that the world once counted as abortion statistics. Now they thrive and are loved and adored by their families.

“Today we celebrate 6,000 children, all made perfectly in the image of our God!” said Christa Brown, Senior Director of Medical Impact for Heartbeat International. “Imagine what our world would have lost if just one of them were not here. We are thankful for each of them and their brave mothers who, at one point, felt there was no other way and sadly started an abortion. Quickly, with deep regret, they realized the value of the life they carried and wanted a new plan—and the APRN was there to help.”

The success of Abortion Pill Reversal relies on science and the compassionate care of the APRN's dedicated network of nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. When a woman takes the first pill in a chemical abortion regimen (mifepristone), the process can be interrupted by administering progesterone, allowing the pregnancy to continue. This reversal treatment is backed by decades of safe use of progesterone for pregnancy-related complications.

Despite this, abortion activists and some public officials continue to question abortion pill reversal, even taking legal actions against Heartbeat International and some pregnancy help organizations in an attempt to block access to help for women who regret starting a chemical abortion. However, these efforts have not deterred the network from answering calls for help in all 50 states and 93 countries.

“Each life is precious and filled with promise and potential that, if not for the expedient work of the APRN, might not have had that second chance,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “What a joy to celebrate this milestone of so many lives saved that they would overflow a concert hall!”

For the mothers who call the APRN, the opportunity for reversal is more than just a medical intervention—it is an act of redemption. Many express profound gratitude for the network that gave them a second chance to choose life.

For more information about the Abortion Pill Rescue Network or to learn how you can support this work, visit HBI.Life/APRN.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heartbeat International is proud to announce the partnership with EveryLife, the first and only pro-life diaper company, to launch a diaper drive dedicated to supporting mothers in need in states where abortion is on the ballot. The drive will run from October 4-7, providing ways for individuals to tangibly support the pro-life movement and help new families flourish. 

To provide essential supplies to struggling families, Heartbeat International will facilitate a donation process where supporters can contribute $55 for a box of diapers and wipes. This donation provides a month's supply of diapers and wipes to mothers who chose life for their babies. 

We are proud to collaborate with eight state pregnancy help coalitions to provide key baby supplies for families throughout the nation over four impactful days. These state coalitions include:

• Arkansas Pregnancy Network
• Colorado Pregnancy Care Alliance
• Florida Pregnancy Care Network
• Maryland Coalition of Medical Pregnancy Clinics
• Alliance for Life (MO)
• Women's Health Network (MT)
• The New York State Coalition for Life
• Pennsylvania Pregnancy Wellness Collaborative

With a goal to provide boxes to 1,000 moms in these vital states, Heartbeat will cover $50 of each order to further its mission to reach and empower those in need. 

"We are thrilled to partner with EveryLife once again to promote a campaign that empowers individuals to support life," Heartbeat International president Jor-El Godsey said. " This initiative not only raises crucial funds but also strengthens our network of pregnancy help for families during critical times, specifically in states where abortion is on the ballot this year. " 

Join us from October 4-7, 2024, to make a meaningful impact on the lives of families and children. Together, we can champion the cause of life and move toward a future where abortion becomes unthinkable. 

Donations for the Diaper Drive can be made here.

Press inquiries for Heartbeat International can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

August 19, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In what can only be described as a desperate publicity stunt, Planned Parenthood is giving away free abortions and vasectomies this week in honor of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). This appalling move highlights how far Big Abortion is willing to go to prioritize its extreme agenda over the health and well-being of women, men, and the next generation. 

"How little must Planned Parenthood think of the DNC-goers to assume they do or will need free abortions," said Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International. "Not to mention the future of the party that so easily dispenses with what would be its next generation. Extremists like this at the DNC can only expect the same kind of extreme abortion policies from its political candidates."

The irony of Planned Parenthood’s actions during a political convention where the future of the country is discussed cannot be overstated. Their “abortion on wheels” approach not only cheapens the very notion of healthcare but also underscores the tragedy of treating human life as disposable. Women deserve better than this kind of reckless and unsafe spectacle, which places headlines and attention over genuine care.

Unlike Planned Parenthood’s publicity-driven antics, pregnancy help organizations quietly and consistently offer free care and practical support for women facing unexpected pregnancies. We do this, not for attention or media coverage, but because it’s the right thing to do. While Big Abortion uses stunts to push its agenda, we remain focused on offering real help and hope to those who need it most.

As the DNC continues to align itself with such extreme positions, it's clear that the well-being of women and children takes a backseat to political gains. The fact that the DNC has enabled and embraced this kind of display only highlights how entrenched abortion extremism is within their platform.

Here we come, Chicago! ? Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with @ChiAbortionFund & @TheWienerCircle Aug 19-20, providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion. EC will also be available for free without an appointment.

Reserve your spot: https://t.co/AVCDTg2FAj pic.twitter.com/6C5oFuXacU

— Planned Parenthood Great Rivers (@ppgreatrivers) August 14, 2024

June 27, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Republican Party’s 2024 draft platform represents a troubling departure from its longstanding tradition of affirming the inherent dignity of every human being, including the unborn child. This shift has caused deep concern among pregnancy help organizations across the nation.

Since the 1980s—almost as long as the pregnancy help movement in the United States has existed—the Republican Party platform has proclaimed the timeless moral principle that all human lives, from the moment of conception, have irreplaceable value. Importantly, this call to protect innocent life under both state and federal law has ensured that any public policy discussion of abortion fully recognizes abortion’s harm to mom, dad, AND child. 

For over 50 years, pregnancy help organizations—now numbering 3,000 medical clinics, resource centers, and maternity homes nationwide—have offered compassionate care to women navigating an unexpected pregnancy so they can be empowered to embrace a healthier choice than abortion. Our mission is based upon recognition of the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception. Serving nearly 1 million families annually, our network of pregnancy help offers free services and long-term relational support that gives parents hope-filled futures with their children. 

Today, 2 out of 3 abortions are administered through abortion pills. With unregulated chemical abortion expanding exponentially and ravaging our communities, now is the time to affirm and redouble our commitment to life. We call on Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley and the GOP Platform Committee to hold fast to the Republican Party’s legacy of cherishing human dignity. 

We stand in agreement with the Minority Report submitted to the GOP Platform Committee by platform delegates, which calls for amendments to the current draft platform to include protections for the unborn and encourages life-affirming alternatives to abortion. It is imperative that the Republican Party uphold its historical commitment to the dignity of all human life by ensuring that these essential protections are maintained in the 2024 platform. Only by embracing this legacy can we truly foster a nation that values every individual, born and unborn, and provides a hopeful future for all.

While we will always remain committed to supporting every woman with practical care and alternatives to abortion, we call now on the party of Lincoln to declare boldly what is self-evident: that every person from the moment of conception is exceptional, valuable, and worth protecting. Only when we have American leadership determined to count all people—including the most vulnerable amongst us—as part of the American family can our nation truly thrive. 

To add your name to a petition calling on the Republican Platform to retain its longstanding positions protecting life, click here.

June 27, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heartbeat International releases the following statement in response to the news Thursday that the United States Supreme Court will allow doctors in Idaho to continue performing emergency abortions despite state restrictions.

Danielle White, Esq., general counsel for Heartbeat International:

“Today’s decision leaves us with more questions than answers. The Court did not settle the question of whether states are required to adopt a broad and sweeping view of EMTALA that leaves them effectively powerless to protect mothers and their unborn children from elective abortion – a question which may very well come back to the Court at another time. Heartbeat and its affiliates stand ready to provide compassionate support and life-affirming alternatives to women, ensuring that both mothers and their unborn children receive the care and love they deserve. Our goal is to make abortion not only unwanted today but unthinkable for future generations.”

Press inquiries for Heartbeat International can be sent to Press@JDAWorldwide.com.

###

Heartbeat International is the largest network of life-affirming pregnancy help in the world, with over 3,500 affiliated locations in 90 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

Website | HeartbeatInternational.org  |  Facebook | /HeartbeatInternational  |  Twitter | @HeartbeatIntl

June 13, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Heartbeat International releases the following statements in response to news Thursday that the United States Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit challenging FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone. 

Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International:  

“The Supreme Court has denied women justice today. Women are more vulnerable than ever to shoddy research, predatory abortion practices, and extreme political ideology. The FDA has been rewarded for its bad behavior in expanding abortion while rolling back even common sense protections.” 

Christa Brown, senior director of medical impact at Heartbeat International:

“Those who prescribe and sell abortion drugs — sometimes through telehealth or websites — step aside when adverse events occur and women are abandoned to manage their own systems. We know that one in 25 women require emergency care after consuming mifepristone. The consequence is that healthcare professionals on the frontlines in emergency departments throughout the U.S. are forced to care for those who require emergency care and surgery after taking mifepristone.”

Danielle White, Esq., general counsel at Heartbeat International: 

“The Court did not say today that mifepristone is safe for women, because indeed it could not. Chemical abortion hurts women, and the FDA needs to be held accountable for its blatant disregard for women’s health and safety.”

Press inquiries for Heartbeat International can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

###

Heartbeat International is the largest network of life-affirming pregnancy help in the world, with over 3,500 affiliated locations in 90 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

Website | HeartbeatInternational.org  |  Facebook | /HeartbeatInternational  |  Twitter | @HeartbeatIntl

April 30, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society inquiries: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thomas More Society backs pregnancy help organizations in lawsuit to protect Abortion Pill Reversal

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and a collective of pregnancy help organizations — represented by Thomas More Society — are suing to block imminent, ruinous legal action threatened by New York Attorney General Letitia James against pro-life ministries that offer and/or promote Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). On April 30, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a verified complaint in the Supreme Court of New York against James, outlining how her threatened prosecution and intimidation of pregnancy help organizations violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, the New York Constitution and state civil rights law.

On April 22, James’ office sent “Notice of Intention to Sue” threat letters to at least a dozen pregnancy help organizations that offer or share information about the APR protocol. James’ threat letter falsely accuses the targeted pregnancy help organizations of “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions.” In their filing today, Thomas More Society clearly lays out why the organizations’ communications about APR are truthful and, even more, fully protected under the First Amendment. The threat letters gave these pro-life ministries only five business days to explain why James should not sue them for false advertising — their lawsuit is the response to those notices.

Thomas More Society attorneys are requesting court intervention against the Attorney General’s threatened legal action, to safeguard the constitutional rights of Heartbeat International and the collective of pregnancy help organizations — many of which are part of Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, or otherwise provide information about APR. At its core, James’ threatened litigation seeks to illegally silence Heartbeat International and its network member organizations from sharing their science-based, life-affirming message about the benefits, success, effectiveness and safety of APR.

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, said:

“This is a political witch-hunt against small nonprofits that have selflessly served New York’s pregnant women and their children for over 50 years. Letitia James should be heralding these charities, not launching outrageously false claims against them under laws that don’t apply to their noncommercial speech. For decades, doctors have been prescribing supplemental progesterone for pregnant women at serious risk for miscarriage—but because this safe and long-established practice may actually reverse abortions, ideologues like Letitia James now want to squelch it. Ms. James’ Notices of Intention to Sue are a transparent attempt to harass small pro-life charities into silence, targeting her political opponents because of their beliefs, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. We will fight back as long as it takes against Ms. James’ efforts to jeopardize the Christian and life-affirming missions of Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and all similar pro-life ministries in the State of New York.”
 

Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International, stated:

“New York State laws protect abortionists and abortion on demand up until birth. Now they are targeting those who assist a woman in exercising her right to continue her own pregnancy. It is unconscionable to see the abortion industry and its paid-for politicians go so far as to insist she complete an abortion she no longer wants.”
 

Rev. Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare, declared:

“The actions of the New York Attorney General should be a major red flag for all Americans, wherever they stand in the abortion debate. Conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of the politically disfavored sets an ominous precedent and, if allowed to stand, will only serve to dismantle American rule of law.”

Kathy Jerman, Executive Director of New Hope Family Services & President of NYS Coalition for Life, added:

“If we truly believe that women should have a choice in her pregnancy decision, then she should also have the choice to reconsider her abortion after taking the first chemical abortion pill. The NY Attorney General is falsely accusing our centers of sharing misinformation with our clients about this life-saving protocol. It is simply not true. Abortion Pill Reversal gives women a second chance to choose life.”

Read the Verified Complaint in Heartbeat International, et al. v. Letitia James, filed by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Heartbeat International and its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network and clients, on April 30, 2024, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York – Monroe Country, here.

Read a representative “Notice of Intention to Sue” letter dated April 22, 2024, sent from the State of New York Office of the Attorney General threatening litigation for alleged “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions in the advertising of the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol,” this one addressed to CompassCare Pregnancy Services, here.

Visit the Thomas More Society case page for documents, updates, and details, here.

Press inquiries for Heartbeat International can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

###

Heartbeat International is the largest network of life-affirming pregnancy help in the world, with over 3,500 affiliated locations in 90 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

Website | HeartbeatInternational.org  |  Facebook | /HeartbeatInternational  |  Twitter | @HeartbeatIntl

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

February 6, 2024
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society inquiries: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thomas More Society Attorneys Ask Court to Throw Out AG Rob Bonta’s Lawsuit

(February 6, 2024 – Oakland, California) Today, Thomas More Society attorneys asked a California Superior Court to throw out the lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics, over their advocacy for “Abortion Pill Reversal,” the medical intervention provided to women who decide to reverse their in-progress chemical abortions. The hundreds of pages of argument and evidence represent the most comprehensive legal counterattack by the pro-life movement against recent legal maneuvers by state government officials like Bonta who are trying to interfere with and stop the efforts of pregnancy centers to help women who regret and want to reverse their chemical abortions.

Heartbeat International, an international network of thousands of pregnancy centers, provides referrals to medical providers for women who are seeking to reverse their chemical abortions through its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, which is the target of Bonta’s lawsuit, along with the RealOptions pregnancy centers in California, which provide Abortion Pill Reversal services. Abortion Pill Reversal is the process of providing supplemental progesterone to counteract the anti-progesterone effects of the first pill (mifepristone) of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen.

“Women undergoing chemical abortions deserve the truth: even after starting a chemical abortion, they may still be able to save their babies,” remarked attorney Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation. “California and its Attorney General Rob Bonta are illegally and unconstitutionally seeking to rip away ‘choice’ from women in dire need by attacking pregnancy help ministries like Heartbeat and RealOptions, to shut down their promotion of Abortion Pill Reversal. Abortion Pill Reversal provides real hope for women who want to stop their abortions and continue their pregnancies. Today’s massive legal filings mark the most ambitious and broad-based counterattack by the pro-life movement against the efforts of state officials, like Rob Bonta, who intend to prevent women from accessing this potentially life-saving treatment option.”

Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey agrees:

“California should be more concerned with helping women who desperately want to continue their pregnancy,” stated Godsey. “Targeting women’s opportunity to reverse their abortion is an obvious act of misusing the goodwill of taxpayer funding to shill for Big Abortion.”

Bonta’s aggressive campaign to dismantle Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue Network and shut down RealOptions’ Abortion Pill Reversal services went public when he filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction against both, along with 100 unnamed “Does,” on September 21, 2023, in the Alameda County Superior Court of California.

“Despite overwhelming evidence of Abortion Pill Reversal services’ safety and effectiveness, this lawsuit makes outrageously false claims against Heartbeat International and RealOptions,” explained Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner, LiMandri and Jonna LLP. “Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit aims to hide life-saving information from women regarding Abortion Pill Reversal. This is a desperate attempt by Bonta to eliminate any competition to the well-funded abortion lobby with which he has proudly partnered throughout his political career.”

In their February 6, 2024, filings, Thomas More Society attorneys advance three main arguments:

(1) The First Amendment protects the advocacy efforts and information provided by Heartbeat and RealOptions to women about Abortion Pill Reversal.

(2) On Bonta’s claims, the Superior Court cannot decide a “battle of scientific experts” between Heartbeat’s scientific studies and Bonta’s competing studies on Abortion Pill Reversal.

(3) California’s Reproductive Privacy Act and its Constitution totally immunize Heartbeat and RealOptions, prohibiting Bonta from interfering with their aid and assistance to pregnant women who want to stop and reverse their chemical abortions.

Among the information provided to the Superior Court, Thomas More Society provided compelling evidence of the safety of supplemental progesterone for pregnant women and its effectiveness in countering the effects of mifepristone, the first pill of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen. In particular, progesterone has been safely used by obstetrician-gynecologists for decades to thwart potential miscarriage in pregnant women.

Read the Memoranda in support of Demurrers, on behalf of Heartbeat International and RealOptions, and of Motion to Quash Service, on behalf of Heartbeat International, filed February 6, 2024, by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Superior Court of the State of California – County of Alameda, in The People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International & RealOptions, here.

The complete collection of court documents filed February 6 is available here.
 

About Heartbeat International

Heartbeat International has been providing pro-life pregnancy resources since its inception in 1971. Today, it is the largest and most expansive network in the world with nearly 3,500 affiliated pregnancy help locations providing life-affirming alternatives to abortion. For more information, please visit heartbeatinternational.org.

About RealOptions

RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics is a non-profit 501(c)3 recognized for its quality of care since 1981. Providing caring, compassionate, high quality holistic healthcare with or without insurance, support services, optimal health education, and pregnancy loss healing to women, men, students, and families, RealOptions has five licensed medical clinic locations serving Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties devoted to caring for patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually. RealOptions offer a broad spectrum of prevention, intervention, and restorative services to the community positively impacting thousands of students and families in the Bay Area each year. For more information, please visit realoptions.net.     

About Thomas More Society

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

For Immediate Release
September 21, 2023
Heartbeat International
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(614) 885-7577

Heartbeat International responds to California AG’s complaint against serving pregnant women

Columbus, OH: Heartbeat International learned through interview requests that the California Attorney General is suing to block us from “advertising Abortion Pill Reversal as safe and effective.” We have not been served at this point.

Through our Abortion Pill Rescue Network hotline, we know that some women almost immediately regret their chemical abortion choice. These women deserve the right to try and save their pregnancies. No woman should ever be forced to complete an abortion she no longer wants.

All major studies show that using progesterone to counteract a chemical abortion (Abortion Pill Reversal) can be effective since it’s the very same hormone a woman’s body produces to sustain her pregnancy. One study even shows an effective rate of 80 percent. Progesterone has been safely used with pregnant women and their babies since the 1950s. To date, statistics show more than 4,500 women have had successful abortion pill reversals and that number grows higher each day. 

To view some of the stories, go to https://www.heartbeatinternational.org/aprn-lives-saved

###

If you feel so called, you can stand with us as we continue to push back against pro-abortion lies against the good work of pregnancy help. We know this will be a long battle, and we also have faith in the victory!

About Abortion Pill Rescue Network: Abortion pill reversal is a cutting-edge application of a time-tested, FDA-approved treatment used for decades to prevent miscarriage and preterm birth. It involves emergency, ongoing doses of progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion pill. From the moment a woman takes the abortion pill, she has about 72 hours to change her mind and save her baby. Statistics show that more than 4,500 lives have been saved (and counting) through the abortion pill reversal protocol.

If you or someone you know took the abortion pill and regret it, there may still be time. The Abortion Pill Reversal hotline provides free and confidential care 24/7. Call 877.558.0333 or go to www.AbortionPillReversal.com now. There may still be time to save your pregnancy.

About Heartbeat International: Heartbeat International is the largest network of pro-life pregnancy help in the world, with more than 3,400 affiliated locations in more than 90 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

For Immediate Release

August 28, 2023
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.                    

New way to connect parents to those who can help them navigate their unique circumstance

COLUMBUS, OH - Prenatal Diagnosis Initiative (PDI), a working group of pregnancy support organizations, has launched its PrenatalDiagnosis.org website. This resource serves parents facing a prenatal diagnosis and gives them access to accurate information on prenatal genetic screening and diagnostic testing, support resources, various prenatal diagnoses, and pregnancy options. Contributors to the website include Heartbeat International and Option Line, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Her PLAN, Be Not Afraid, and String of Pearls. 

The website also links users to Heartbeat International’s 24/7 pregnancy-related helpline, Option Line, that connects parents facing a diagnosis to a Parent Care Coordinator (PCC) in their region. PCCs are trained to provide trauma-informed care to parents throughout the rest of their pregnancy and for one year following birth. This care includes help navigating medical options, advocating for their baby, developing a plan for birth and newborn care, offering grief support, and more.

PDI recognizes that parents who have received a prenatal diagnosis are facing unexpected challenges and they deserve care and support as they contemplate the next steps for themselves, their baby, and the rest of their family. The website was born out of a desire to provide medically accurate, trauma-informed information to parents or family members who may be searching after receiving a positive screening or diagnostic test result. Option Line and its connection to a PCC will help meet the needs of those parents with compassionate care and support.

 “After fourteen years of supporting parents carrying to term following a prenatal diagnosis, our organization recognized the need to develop a professional training program that was trauma-informed, research-based, parent-centered, and life affirming.  We feel blessed to support other organizations in the development of services which address the crisis of a prenatal diagnosis with comprehensive support, and we are very happy with the feedback we are getting from those who have completed the Be Not Afraid Parent Care Coordinator Training,” said Tracy Winsor, Be Not Afraid Co-Founder and Parent Program Director.

 “Upon receiving a positive prenatal test result, parents deserve to receive the best information available regarding carrying their child to term and an offer of support in walking the journey. I've seen firsthand the positive impact for children, families, and communities.” - Gary Thome, Heartbeat International board member and PDI founding member

###

 Prenatal Diagnosis Initiative is a collaboration of Heartbeat International, Option Line, Charlotte Lozier Institute, Her PLAN, Be Not Afraid, and String of Pearls. Learn more at PrenatalDiagnosis.org