Pro-life group Save the Storks launches 100th mobile medical clinic
A Colorado-based pro-life organization has launched its 100th mobile medical clinic, which will be given to a pregnancy care center in Tennessee, a state that has banned most abortions.
Save the Storks of Colorado Springs officially dedicated the new mobile clinic at an event on Sunday, with the bus making its way to Tennessee this week, with stops at multiple cities along the way.
The mobile clinic is being given to the Pregnancy Resource Center in Maryville, Tennessee, a pro-life nonprofit that describes itself as providing a “holistic approach to medical services.” It is scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
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Save the Storks CEO Diane Ferraro told The Christian Post that it felt "incredible" to launch the 100th mobile clinic, with the first bus created 12 years ago.
"This is a big milestone for the organization, but it really is just the beginning," said Ferraro. "We are already in 34 states, and it is our God-sized dream to see every state, county, and city have life-affirming mobile medical clinics to empower women with real choice."
Ferraro said the PRC of Maryville, to which her organization had given a bus before, goes "above and beyond to meet the needs of women, babies, and families in their community."
Valerie Millsapps, spokesperson for PRC in Maryville, told CP that her clinic was “thrilled and grateful to so many generous hearts in our community that gave to see this come to fruition.”
Millsapps explained that the new mobile clinic would serve as an “upgrade” to the vehicle they have been using for their services, in addition to their two building locations in Maryville and Sevierville.
“Our brick-and-mortar locations only reach so far, so our mobile medical clinic has allowed us to expand our reach for the last six years, meeting families where they live,” she said. “So, we are excited to continue to meet a rising need in our community and surrounding rural areas.”
The new mobile clinic comes at a time when Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers have been launching their own mobile clinics to try and expand access to their services.
Millsapps believed that the PRC’s mobile clinic would not face much competition from any mobile abortion clinics, because “we are providing families with real options to their difficult pregnancy decisions.”
Millsapps provided CP with a quote from a woman facing an unexpected pregnancy who had been served at the PRC’s older mobile clinic and spoke positively of the experience.
“I didn’t feel adequate to be a mother. I started searching for places to make an appointment and found the Pregnancy Resource Center’s mobile clinic. I had an ultrasound that day and after hearing the heartbeat, I felt at peace. The nurse poured into me that day. I was made to be a mother,” stated the unnamed mother.
“I would not be the mother I am today without the help of the Pregnancy Resource Center. I have accomplished more than I thought possible. I am thankful for everyone that sowed into me when I needed it the most.”
“We see stories like this every single day,” Millsapps told CP. “Every woman deserves unwavering love and support as she navigates the challenging journey of pregnancy, and we are here to offer just that.”
“We continue to envision a healthier and happier community where brave families thrive, and the ripple effects of our life-affirming care extend far beyond the walls of our clinic. We have seen the fruit of the last six years, and we are excited to see this life-affirming mission continue its journey forward.”
Last year, after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Tennessee enacted a trigger law that had been passed earlier to ban abortion in nearly all circumstances.
In April, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a law that slightly expanded the exemptions to allow doctors to cite “reasonable medical judgment” when determining if an abortion is necessary.
