Four moms and their children will travel to Washington D.C. this coming week to share the powerful message from their own personal perspective on Capitol Hill that pregnancy centers are good for America.
Heartbeat International will host the moms and their children along with pregnancy help personnel for Babies Go to Congress. Heartbeat is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally.
More than 180 moms and babies have gone to D.C. and told their stories in nearly 400 Congressional offices since Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress initiative began in 2009. Each of the moms and their babies provides living proof of the power of pregnancy help.
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One of the moms attending this latest chapter of Babies Go to Congress is Valencia.
When she first called the Confidential Care Mobile Ministry hotline, Valencia thought she was scheduling an abortion. What she didn’t realize was that that one phone call would change her life. Within a week of talking and visiting with the team at CCMM, Valencia made a courageous choice for life.
What began as a call to end a pregnancy became a call that brought hope and life.
On July 27, 2022, Valencia welcomed her daughter Kennedi.
Today, Valencia and Kennedi share their story to encourage others, hoping to shine the same light that CCMM once shared with them.
“The call to end life turned into the call that gave life,” Valencia said. “And it’s a light we now want to pass on.”
When Katee first found out she was pregnant, she was just a sophomore in high school. Unsure of what to do and afraid to tell her parents, she carried the secret for months before finally opening up. That moment of honesty began a journey that would change her life.
Her mom brought her to Bella Vita Pregnancy Center, where Katee found compassion, encouragement, and the strength to face her fears. Surrounded by support, she began taking classes at the center and learned she didn’t have to walk this road alone.
“They didn’t make me feel less of a mom because I was so young,” she said.
Just two weeks after telling her parents, Katee went into preterm labor and delivered her son, Greyson, at only 25 weeks. The months that followed were filled with long nights in the NICU, but also with faith and perseverance. Through it all, Katee grew closer to God and discovered a new kind of bravery that would shape her as both a mom and a young woman.
Katee is now a senior in high school and is thriving. She’s continued her education, reached the state tournament in girls’ wrestling, and is preparing for another season. Most importantly, she’s raising a happy, healthy little boy who inspires her every day.
Katee wants other young women to know that life doesn’t end with an unexpected pregnancy - it’s just beginning.
“I have learned so much and have become stronger because of Greyson, my son,” she said. “My goals have pretty much stayed the same. The only difference is ... I have Greyson.”
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In 2013, Shawnte found herself facing one of the hardest moments of her life; she was pregnant with her third child and abandoned by the baby’s father when she refused to have an abortion. Feeling lost and unsure of where to turn, she didn’t know that hope and help were available just around the corner.
Her mother had unknowingly scheduled what she thought was an abortion appointment, but instead, Shawnte met someone who offered a different path, one that saved both her baby’s life and her own. Through that encounter, she was introduced to Mary’s Shelter, a maternity home that surrounded her with love, stability, and faith when she needed it most.
On July 27, 2014, Shawnte welcomed her daughter Bella.
Today, Shawnte is an ordained minister whose experience at Mary’s Shelter continues to inspire her work. Now contracted through the court system, she helps women in similar situations as hers find the support and strength they need to keep their children. What began as a moment of fear became a powerful testimony of redemption and courage.
Samantha once pictured a perfect life - girl meets boy, they fall in love, get married, and raise a family behind a white picket fence. But her story took a different turn.
After leaving an abusive relationship and struggling with alcohol, she moved back home to start over. A month later, she found herself on the bathroom floor, staring at the two pink lines of a pregnancy test in disbelief. Within an hour, her parents knew. While they reassured her, she could only think, “This can’t be happening.”
A week later, her mother brought her to Hand of Hope Pregnancy Center.
Samantha walked in with her head down, wishing it were all a mistake. But Stacey greeted her with warmth and reminded her that even if she didn’t feel okay now, one day she would. Stacey patiently talked and prayed with her until Samantha found the courage to see her baby on the ultrasound for the first time, a moment that began to change everything.
Through the women at Hand of Hope, Samantha rediscovered faith, peace, and purpose. They didn’t promise that motherhood would be easy; instead, they promised to walk beside her. Their love redefined strength for her, not in control or survival but in surrender and trust in God.
On April 4, 2025, Samantha welcomed her daughter Zoey Grace - “a new life by grace.”
Now a year sober, she continues visiting Hand of Hope each week, grateful for the family and faith that helped her turn fear into hope and pain into purpose.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
