The Mercy House has served Bladen County as a pregnancy resource center.
The center unveiled its new ultrasound machine Friday, May 8 during a dedication service and ribbon cutting in Elizabethtown.
“It’s already been a huge blessing,” Mercy House executive director Megan Knight said. “When a mom can see her baby, it makes a huge difference.”
North Carolina Baptist bought the machine through the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission’s (ERLC) Psalm 139 Project. It marked the 100th ultrasound placement nationwide since the project began in the early 2000s.
The Psalm 139 Project exists to help pregnancy resource centers minister to abortion-vulnerable women by providing ultrasound equipment and medical staff training to operate the machines, according to ERLC.
“I’m so excited,” Knight said. “When we started three years ago, this was my goal. I know that moms are anywhere from 60 to 80 percent more likely to choose life” when they can view an ultrasound.
“We can have a conversation with them and talk about choices and try to help them to see that life is valuable and meaningful and that they’re worthy,” Knight said, “but when they can see that image, it’s just beyond what words can say. We can find that little heartbeat.
“My youngest (child) is 13 and the images on this machine are astronomically better than 13 years ago,” Knight said.
Knight said The Mercy House has had two scans with the ultrasound machine thus far.
The May 8 dedication service included prayers and scripture readings from several local pastors followed by guided tours of the clinic.
The Mercy House currently has about 30 clients, Knight said. Last December, the clinic had about 60 clients “we were seeing on a pretty regular basis,” she said, “but we serve about 30 clients at a time.”
The Mercy House offers pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, counseling, material assistance, post abortion support, abstinence training, adoption referrals, community assistance referrals and parental training at no charge, according to its website. The clinic also offers counseling for men.
“We have ‘Earn as You Learn,’ which is an education program,” Knight said. “The girls come in, take classes from prenatal to budgeting, parenting, setting boundaries with relationships and co-parenting, then get points. We call them Baby Bucks. They spend their Baby Bucks in the center.”
The Mercy House is in need of volunteer advocates who work with clients, Knight said. The center accepts donations of baby-related items, although it cannot accept car seats and cribs.
The Mercy House is located at 501 Doctors Drive in Elizabethtown. The phone number is 910-247-6303 and the website is mercyhouseprc.org. The clinic is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 3-6 p.m. Thursdays.
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