Photos by K2 Images
Tell us a little about yourself.
When I was 19, I became pregnant with my oldest child, Audrey. I was brought up in a home where abortion was not an option. My parents did have me consider adoption, but I chose to parent Audrey.
While I was seven months pregnant, I was introduced to my first husband, Michael. When you are single and pregnant, everyone’s agenda includes match-making. A sweet, little lady from his church matched us up. I agreed to go out on a blind date, waddling around, seven months pregnant. After our first date, he stuck with me. He and his wonderful family were such a huge blessing. After Audrey was born, I was expecting him to run away. He didn’t.
I was at Blinn, going to school full time. My next move was to transfer to Texas A&M. To put myself through college, I fed horses, mucked stalls, and pet-sat. Around this time, my dad found out he had lost most of the family’s money due to the Enron scandal. Early one morning, my baby sister, who was 14, called me and told me both our parents were dead. My dad had stabbed my mom and shot himself. My parents had been married 34 years. It was very surreal.
Your ministry and mission here at the Pregnancy Care Center have grown out of the outpouring of love and support with which you were surrounded during this tragic time. Would you share about that?
My sisters and I did not know how we were going to pay for the funerals. We put the $11,000 expense on a business credit card, which we were going to have to pay off at the end of the month. A few days after the incident, I was venting to one of the ladies for whom I worked. She walked away while I was finishing up with the stalls. When she returned, she had a check for $11,000. I remember telling her, “I cannot pay you back for this anytime soon.” She responded that it was an act of kindness and love. “One day you will have an opportunity to do something grand. Remember this, and do it.” I saw God’s selfless love.
Although that one problem was taken care of, I was still going to be homeless when I transferred to A&M. My best friend had an apartment, which she was sharing with another girl. She moved her room around so that she, Audrey, and I could share her bedroom. Child care was the next issue. I couldn’t find any daycare centers with openings for Audrey. The other roommate worked for a daycare. She told the facility of my situation. They proceeded to graduate some babies out of one class to make a spot for Audrey. When I went in to fill out the paperwork, they offered me a 50% discount if I would go to church one time. I did, and realized I did not have experience with a grace-filled relationship with Christ.
We were blessed with another baby girl, Addison. Everything was amazing. We were really involved in a church, and we both loved our jobs. About a week before his 35th birthday, Michael had a brain aneurysm. I was living in God’s blessings. I was doing things the “right way.” It was very hard to understand why this tragedy struck. We had thousands upon thousands of people praying, hundreds of people in the waiting room. After about four days, we realized he was not going to make it. My amazing in-laws and I stood together during this time.
About a year later, we took cookies to the nurses who had taken such good care of us. I started to say, “You probably don’t remember me,” and one of the nurses said, “Of course I remember you.” He told us that watching us walk through this difficulty renewed his faith. He said, “You walked with such grace and love. You were singing hymns, and you knew exactly where Michael was going to go. It made me realize I wasn’t sure where I was going to go. I started going to church the next Sunday and have been going ever since.”
You said before that the lady who gave you the check to cover the funeral expenses said, “One day you’ll have the chance to do something grand.” As the Executive Director of the Huntsville Pregnancy Care Center, do you feel this was what she meant?
How many technicians do you have, and what days are they here?
What are other services you perform here?
In our lab area, we not only do the pregnancy test, but also STD (sexually transmitted diseases) testing. Last year alone, we completed over 4,000 STD tests. We test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. It has allowed us to minister to a whole new population. We have a huge number of homosexual males who meet with our men’s ministry for an HIV-awareness group on campus.
We are also able to guide our clients through social services. We help them get free car seats and brand new cribs. We do a great deal of problem solving.
Would you share about your consultation rooms?
In our Board Room, we conduct our parenting classes, which are free to our clients. Again, we talk about nutrition, parent techniques, etc. The clients can earn “bucks” for attending the classes. Then, they can “spend” the money in the Hope Project, where they can get diapers, crocheted items, etc.
How is the resale shop connected to the ministry?
Also, our shop is a ministry in and of itself. If someone in the community experiences a house fire, we help to replace necessities. Recently, we were able to help someone who had just received custody of their children. We were able to provide clothes, etc.
With three children and both of you working full-time, how do you manage day-to-day life?
Ashley ended our interview with these words: “I serve here because I was one of those women. I didn’t know what I was going to do being pregnant and 19. This was supposed to happen to other people, not me. Being young with a child and the tragedies which I’ve experienced have shaped me. I just want my story to glorify God. Being the Executive Director of the PCC is the most amazing position that I ever could have imagined. It has allowed me to serve God in a powerful way!
1215 15th Street
Huntsville, TX 77340
(936) 294-0404
www.pcctexas.org