Pregnant? Need Help?

Born in Jamaica, Morrison has spent most of her life taking care of herself. At age 5 she came with her father to the U.S. but spent most of her childhood with an aunt in New York. In high school, Morrison moved to the Chicago area, but she said clashes with her father's girlfriend led her to live with her boyfriend's family.

The family didn't attend church, but Morrison's friends frequented Faith Tabernacle, a small Pentecostal church in Aurora. There, Morrison heard a message emphasizing abstinence and purity. During one service, the pastor anointed the young people in the congregation to shield them from temptation.

Morrison tried to live up to the pastor's standard but found it difficult. She says she sinned and admits it wasn't smart to think she couldn't get pregnant. When a doctor lectured her about her stupidity, she went into a tailspin.

She had let down her pastor. She had disappointed her doctor. But most important, she had failed herself. There was no way she could face her pastor or go to church again.

"I was just in a world of problems by myself," she said. "How am I going to take care of someone else? I was in a hole and I didn't want to take her with me. It came at the wrong time. I was really lost."

Hope came when and where she least expected. When Morrison spotted a bumper sticker in the parking lot of a Taco Bell, she thought its simple message—"Pregnant? Need help?"—might be a joke. But when she called the number and reached Women's Choice Services, she heard words of encouragement she hadn't heard in months.

The west suburban center, which aims to support women facing unplanned pregnancies so they don't choose abortion, put her in touch with Project Gabriel, a Catholic ministry that supports women in her situation.

Adolphson and four other women took Morrison under their wings, driving her to doctor's appointments, delivering groceries and buying baby supplies. With children of their own, they understand how fragile pregnancy can be and applaud Morrison's courage to continue despite her financial constraints.

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