Lydia to her counsellor: «I am eternally thankful to you and your foundation for standing by me in this challenging time.»
The Wrong Time for a Baby? Not at all!
Lydia (28) completed her career training. Until now, she has had to make do with small part-time jobs. She doesn’t want to live in humble conditions any longer, however. In order to improve her chances for a better job, she plans on doing further education – and just now becomes pregnant. And the father of the child, her boyfriend? Unemployed! Lydia sees her plans drift away. She is overcome with the fear of remaining poor and at the edge of society for the rest of her life.
In her search for someone trustworthy to talk to, she finds the SAMC. She calls the helpline.
The Wrong Time
She has just found out that she is 8 weeks pregnant, she tells the counsellor. Having to take responsibility for the baby is putting too much pressure on her and is endangering her career goals. How is further education possible with a child? The counsellor also learns of the couple’s difficult financial situation. Lydia’s partner, unemployed and lacking in self-confidence, reacts listlessly to the pregnancy: it is all the same to him whether they have a baby or not, Lydia should decide! All in all, the young woman thinks that it is the wrong time for a child. Therefore, she considers having an abortion.
The counsellor explains to Lydia that it is possible to continue her education with also a baby. The SAMC has already helped a lot of women in this way. As for it being the right or wrong time for having a baby, it could be precisely this child that gives direction to her life, thereby making her happy!
A Bumpy Ride
Over the following weeks, Lydia continues talking to her counsellor and exchanges e-mails with her. She seems to be getting quite confident about having a life with her baby, but then she loses heart again. The discussions seem to help her gain confidence, only to have her fears of failure and poverty bring her down again and again. The counsellor therefore decides to visit Lydia at home and talk again about all of her concerns.
A few days after this visit, Lydia, who is now in her 12th week, calls her counsellor in a panic: she can’t get over all of her fears and doesn’t trust herself to raise a child yet. It really does seem to be the wrong time. The counsellor also learns that she has already made an appointment for an abortion.
She then gets to the bottom of these new fears in an intensive discussion. During the conversation, Lydia manages to realise that this tiny being she is carrying in her womb needs her protection, her love and her affection, and that yes, it really is a baby. And she understands that her child is more important than her fears!
Lydia Writes to her Counsellor from the Bottom of her Heart
Lydia experiences true happiness once she cancels her appointment for an abortion and decides to keep her baby. The child lends her the courage to overcome her fears. This courage also affects her boyfriend, who gets past his passivity and starts to get excited about the upcoming birth.
Lydia then learns just how the SAMC can concretely help her to stay on track: The SAMC acknowledges Lydia’s need for further education and will help her to organise her life so this will be possible.
When Lydia gives birth to her daughter, she feels how a new life has begun for her. She is overjoyed, and knows that this really is the right time. She thanks the SAMC by saying «I would like to thank your foundation from the bottom of my heart for the moral and financial support you gave me. That our baby is alive and has a good future ahead of her is all due to your help!»
And then, to top it all off, her boyfriend finds a new part-time job in the nick of time. A few weeks after the birth, Lydia writes to her counsellor: «Thank you again so very much for all of your efforts on my behalf. I am for ever thankful to you and your foundation for standing by me in this challenging time.»