Newspaper Article

A YOUNG MOTHER'S AGONIZING DECISION

Ranstead, Kelly, Kelly Ranstead graduated from Granby Memorial High School in June. She will attend Neumann College in Aston, Pa, in the fall

2003

Overview

Our home pregnancy test came back positive. Panic-stricken, we rushed to Planned Parenthood, hoping against hope that this test would come back negative. We were not so lucky. Speaking through tears, we asked the nurse what to do. Instead of being given options, we were given one option -- abortion. This, according to the Planned Parenthood nurse, would let us get on with our lives without anyone having known that I was pregnant. We told her that I was an Orthodox Christian and did not believe in abortion. That was the end of her help for us. Instead of advice, we got a terse \"good luck\" as we walked out the door. Friends and acquaintances wondered why we did not choose to keep the child for ourselves. We thought about it often, knowing how many young mothers do, but in our hearts we knew this wouldn't be fair to the baby. At 20 and 18, respectively, my boyfriend and I did not have the maturity or education to give this baby what he deserved. We faced years of menial jobs while trying to earn a college degree. Living together unmarried was not an option, and we knew the statistics of how many young marriages fail. Keeping the baby would be putting his future at too great a risk.

• Publisher: Tribune Publishing Company, LLC