The Power of the Ultrasound: 

Saving Utah Babies From Abortion

I held my breath as I waited for the ultrasound image to appear on the screen. And then there he was! His profile showed an upturned button nose, and his tiny lips were slightly parted. I gasped and brought my hand to my chest as if to still my heart. I looked at the woman who had become my friend over the last weeks after long and intimate discussions about abortion. The things that I had told her had definitely given her pause about going through with an abortion, but still I wasn't sure that it had been enough. In that moment, our eyes locked, and tears flowed down both of our faces. This was when her baby became real to her.

There is nothing more rewarding in pro-life work than knowing that you have been instrumental in shifting a woman from being abortion-minded to loving her baby. It changes you permanently. You are forever connected at the heart to both mother and baby. And it changes the world forever, whether in a small way or some monumental way that is yet to come.

Emily's Story

This was far from the only experience where we witnessed how powerful the ultrasound image can be. In 2018, one of our sidewalk advocates met a woman named Emily outside of Planned Parenthood in Salt Lake City. She offered to drive her to the Pregnancy Resource Center for a pregnancy test and an ultrasound, and Emily accepted. When the pregnancy test came back positive, Emily was adamant that she was going to have an abortion but the PRC was able to get her in for an ultrasound right away. Emily wasn't very far along and couldn't see a distinct image of the baby, but she could hear and see the heartbeat. Everything changed in that moment as Emily was able to see the humanity in her unborn baby. Emily would become a very attentive and loving mother, and her baby would bring joy to many. Read more about this heartwarming story here.

Baby Piper 

There is also the story of Baby Piper, another Utah baby saved from abortion. During an ultrasound to determine how far along her mother was and how much she was to be charged for her abortion, Piper's mom heard her heart beating (despite the fact that Planned Parenthood concealed the screen from her). The sound of that heartbeat changed the course of history for Piper  

and her family as well (as well as the life of Kristy, their Pro-Life Utah mentor who is now known as the “other mother”). Read Piper's story here

These stories and others like them are the lifeblood of Pro-Life Utah. We operate a hotline and life grant program as well as a sidewalk advocacy program. Our sidewalk advocates are in front of Planned Parenthood to make that one last effort before a woman goes in for an abortion to offer her resources, options, and friendship in hopes of sparing the life of her unborn child.

Working in this capacity, we quickly realized the importance of the ultrasound and perhaps even more importantly, the importance of being able to access an ultrasound quickly and without the complications of making appointments.

When you have a woman who will spend a few minutes talking to you, there is a very small window of time to make a difference. If she agrees to have an ultrasound done, it is unlikely she will agree to wait a week or more. If you can't offer her that service now, you very likely will lose the opportunity. It was this realization that catapulted the goal of owning a mobile ultrasound van to the top of Pro- life Utah's objectives.

Several years ago, Save the Storks, an organization that operates mobile ultrasound clinic vans, came through Salt Lake, and I was able to tour one of their vans. They're clean and inviting, and there's a comfortable place to sit and chat. The ultrasound is always free of charge and can be done right away. The atmosphere is one of love and acceptance.

Save the Storks indicates that 8 out of 10 women who enter one of their vans will choose life for their baby. That's an incredible number! That's 8 out of 10 babies that otherwise would not have seen their first birthday can now bring all of their unique and God-given blessings to the world. That is 8 out of 10 women who will never have to face the regret the remorse and the grief that often comes with having an abortion.

How YOU Can Help Us Save Utah Babies 

Since Roe vs. Wade, the abortion culture has permeated our society with so much misinformation and false rhetoric that a young women facing an unplanned pregnancy can easily misunderstand the implications of her decision. If the pro-life community really wants to combat this, we must shine a light on this dark and dangerous deception. Ultrasounds are one of our most effective tools.

Dr. Bernard Nathanson was instrumental in the Roe vs. Wade case and has taken responsibility for over 60,000 abortions. After the advent of the ultrasound, he became an anti abortion advocate. "I was shaken to the very roots of my soul by what I saw," he said after viewing an ultrasound abortion. He described the baby silently screaming in pain and trying to fight off the abortion instruments in the womb. Following his change of heart, he later said, “Fewer women would have abortions if wombs had windows.” If viewing an ultrasound can have such a life-altering effect on a hardened abortion doctor, just think what it can do for and expectant mother.

Pro-life Utah began as a small group and operates today as grassroots organization. I have deep heartfelt gratitude towards our supporters; it is because of them that we were in a position to take advantage of an incredible opportunity to purchase a mobile ultrasound clinic van. But this is only the first step. We still have a lot to do to fully operate this mobile clinic on the road and then to maintain the annual costs to operate the van. Join us in this noble effort by donating here.