Loving Choices raises money to save two lives at a time

More than 1,000 guests celebrated life and hope Tuesday night (Nov. 11) as they raised $242,023 to support the work of Loving Choices Pregnancy Centers of NWA at the organization’s annual banquet. The keynote speaker for the banquet on Tuesday night was Pam Tebow, mother of football player, Tim Tebow.

With locations in Rogers and Fayetteville, Loving Choices provides counseling and limited medical services (pregnancy tests, STD/STI testing and ultrasounds) to any woman who may find herself experiencing a reproductive health crisis, whether it is an unplanned pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease.

“Loving Choices educates women of any age on the importance of taking care of their bodies and their babies,” said Jan Hixson, development director of Loving Choices. “We want women to be successful emotionally, physically and spiritually.” 

Caroline Rhoads, executive director of Loving Choices, said the organization’s clients range from college students to homeless women, and they see clients from all walks of life who are facing unplanned pregnancies. 

“We share compassion and respect when women need it most.  Our goal is to be a first response for any women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy,” she said.

Rhoads said Loving Choices has seen a 30% increase in overall clients served this year, and a 115 percent increase in babies saved. Goals for 2015 include serving 1,200 clients and saving 365 babies.

“One hundred seventy-five babies have been saved by Loving Choices in 2013,” she said.  “That’s something to celebrate. One hundred seventy-five individuals will leave their mark on this world because they were saved from abortion through the work of Loving Choices. … One baby a day, 30 babies a month, 100 clients a month.” 

In doing so, Rhoads said Loving Choices will “show the world how life-affirming people truly respect women.” 

Loving Choices exists to support women and their babies and to promote life and provide hope to women and their babies who are in crisis, Rhoads said.

“We’re here to save lives two at a time. … We’ve never had a client who regretted choosing life for her baby. We’ve never talked to a woman who said, ‘I wish my baby was not here,’” she said.

“I can’t imagine life without my daughter now. She brings so much joy to my life. She’s literally the light of my life,” said Kaylee Clouse, a client of Loving Choices.

Clouse said at a difficult time in her life, Loving Choices gave her counseling, support and all the material things she needed to be able to take care of her daughter.

Tebow shared how she was advised to have an abortion when she was pregnant with Tim due to illness during her pregnancy. She said when Tim was born, the doctor told her husband, “Mr. Tebow, you know that this is a miracle baby because only a small shred of placenta was intact the whole time.” Tebow said that was her own God story.

Everyone can have a God story, Tebow said, if they have a master, a manual, a mindset and a mission.

“Be part of the solution,” she said. “We have the privilege to be a voice for one who has no voice. We have the privilege of being a voice for those precious unborn babies who have no voice of their own.” 

Tebow told the story of a young woman who approached her after one of her talks and said, “Mrs. Tebow, I didn’t abort my baby because you didn’t.”

Mercy Hospital NWA was the presenting sponsor of the evening and Eric Pianalto, president of Mercy Hospital NWA, made the financial appeal. He explained that the hospital is involved because historically their mission has been to have a special concern for women and to serve the poor. Pianalto said Loving Choices is also important to him personally. He said he was born at St. Mary’s hospital (now Mercy) in Rogers.

“My birth was as a result of a loving choice,” he said. “I am an adopted child and I was adopted by a family in Tontitown and had a great opportunity to be part of a great community and live and grow and eventually come back and be part of the institution I was born in.”