CARE & CONNECTION FOR FAMILIES
Some Pregnancies are Unexpected…and Some are Unexpectedly Difficult.
The words you never want to hear during your baby’s ultrasound: “It looks like there may be something wrong…”
Joy and excitement can quickly turn to sadness, fear, and uncertainty when facing the possibility of an adverse or challenging fetal diagnosis. Families are often immediately flooded with medical information, terms and phrases they’ve never heard, and even faced with the gut-wrenching decision of whether to continue the pregnancy.
Much like all of our pregnancy clients, families in this situation need information to make an informed and empowered choice. The Ezrah program is another way that AbbaCare can minister to people in difficult circumstances, and is a beautiful new iteration of our life-affirming mission and vision to “Equip with Truth and Empower with Hope.”
For the name of the program, we have chosen “Ezrah” which is the Hebrew word meaning: help, support, assistance, aid, either human or divine. It is often used in the sense of a helper or assistant, one who assists and serves another with what is needed.
The Ezrah program serves families facing a challenging fetal diagnosis through FOUR main components:
EZRAH PROVIDES…
CARE
Holistic spiritual and emotional care and compassion for families who have received a challenging fetal diagnosis. Time and space to process what they’ve been told. Validation of their feelings, and an assurance that they are not alone.
INFORMATION & RESOURCES
Reliable, accurate information about all pregnancy options, self-advocacy and information/sources to consult for more details on the child’s diagnoses.
REFERRALS
Referrals to OB providers, specialists, etc, for care specific to each family’s needs, as well as referrals to adoption agencies, perinatal hospice, parent and infant education programs, etc.
PEER MENTORING
Connecting clients to pre-screened and pre-trained families who have walked a similar road and can provide ongoing support and encouragement.
NEXT STEPS
How Can You Be Involved?
We’d love to hear from you…
…if you have been given news of a difficult fetal diagnosis (or know someone who is experiencing this). You are not alone.
…if you have walked down this road and would like to help other families by becoming a peer mentor.
…if you are a medical provider or other human services professional who sees patients or families facing adverse fetal diagnosis and would like to provide those folks with our information.
Please email info@abbacare.org or call 540.665.9660 to learn more about Ezrah.