CHARLOTTE — After reading the article “Planned Parenthood will Soon be Doing Abortions” in a May edition of the Catholic News Herald, members of the Knights of Columbus from St. Luke and St. John Neumann parishes sprang into action.
Bob Hayes, St. Luke Parish’s Respect Life coordinator as well as a member of the Knights Council 12832, recalled, “When we heard about the new clinic, we knew we just had to do something. A new Planned Parenthood? It was a surprise to us and this whole community. Ever since, the pro-life community has been doing things like praying outside the building.”
Last summer Planned Parenthood South Atlantic moved its Charlotte Health Center to a larger facility at 700 South Torrence St., located in the historically black Cherry neighborhood of Charlotte. It is the fourth abortion facility in Charlotte, where more abortions are performed than in any other city in North Carolina.
The St. Luke Knights collaborated with St. John Neumann Parish’s Knights of Columbus Council 7343 to combat the new Planned Parenthood by purchasing a new 4-D colored ultrasound machine for the Women’s Clinic of Charlotte mobile van, which parks outside local abortion facilities, offering free ultrasounds to abortion-minded mothers. Their $38,000 machine was matched by another donor, so two new ultrasound machines are being put to use to benefit the Women’s Clinic of Charlotte.
The Women’s Clinic of Charlotte, formerly known as the Pregnancy Resource Center, is part of the Human Coalition’s network of more than 45 pro-life pregnancy centers in the U.S. that provide medical services specifically tailored to abortion-minded women.
Jim Strauss, former St. Luke Grand Knight, noted, “The Knights of Columbus and Respect Life have a long history. The Knights put in the 1,000th ultrasound machine across the county last year. In 2018, that resulted in saving 155,000 lives. Each machine saves 10-12 babies a month. When the Planned Parenthood news came, David Debrosse from St. John Neumann Parish knew their council could raise the funds but did not know how to get the KofC Ultrasound Initiative process started. Fortunately, St. Luke’s council had already started the process and had raised half the funds. Together with the St. John Neumann council, we split the cost necessary to comply with the Ultrasound Initiative. Gary Grossman, the new Grand Knight, was able to get the votes necessary to complete St. Luke’s portion of the initiative.”
Erin Forsythe, director of strategic partnerships for the Women’s Clinic of Charlotte, located a few blocks away from the new Planned Parenthood facility, said, “This couldn’t have come at a better time. The new ultrasound machine will be placed in our mobile unit. It will be replacing one of our older units and will give mothers a better picture of their child with better technology, as it’s a 3D-4D machine. We are so very excited.”
Human Coalition Director Lauren Enriquez explained the significance of this $74,000 endeavor by sharing a recent story of a local Charlottean who was actively seeking an abortion.
“She was struggling financially and working to regain custody of her three little girls,” Enriquez said. “She received a free ultrasound, which revealed her baby was 7 weeks along. Seeing the child’s tiny body on the screen, she admitted she never imagined she would be faced with such a difficult decision. She felt totally hopeless. The clinic staff assured her that this baby was a blessing, not a hindrance. As she began thinking of this baby as a sibling to her girls, she chose life and continued her pregnancy. Her new baby girl is due soon.”
Grossman agreed that ultrasounds change people’s minds.
“What we are trying to do with this ultrasound machine is to give mothers another option – a way to see the live child they are potentially going to lose. It is not to browbeat them. The only way people can be pro-choice is by simply not believing that the baby is alive. This ultrasound machine shows a real live body. This is our way of getting across to the moms. The statistical proof is that when three out of four mothers see the ultrasound, they choose life. It is as simple as that.”
— Lisa Geraci, Correspondent