A Place to Turn

Both Naples women found themselves pregnant unexpectedly, and they didn't know where to turn.

Moritz, 27, already had a young son she was struggling to raise alone, and she was overwhelmed by the idea of bringing another child into the world.

She turned to the yellow pages and posted the numbers of abortion clinics by her phone. But before she called one of the clinics, she called another number in the yellow pages under abortion alternatives -- the Collier Pregnancy Centers, a life-affirming woman's medical center in Naples dedicated to helping women find alternatives to abortion.

"I knew I couldn't be a mom to another child," she said. "All I could think of was that this was not the right time for this."

At the Collier Pregnancy Centers, Moritz was given a urine test that confirmed she was pregnant. Then she was given an ultrasound so that she could see on a monitor the unborn child that was growing inside of her. She could see the baby's head, arms, legs and its heartbeat.

"As soon as I saw the heartbeat and I knew there was a life inside me, I knew what I had to do; I had to have this baby," she said.

Still, she was terrified by the idea of raising the baby, so with the help of counselors at the Collier Pregnancy Centers, she made the decision to place the baby for adoption.

Cornacchia was only 17 when she discovered she was pregnant. She was afraid to tell her parents. Her boyfriend, Jeremia Russell, only a year older, wasn't ready to become a father.

"At first he wanted to get rid of it and I was so confused," said Cornacchia, now 19. "I was brought up that abortion was wrong, but I thought, 'I'm young, I'm not ready to have a baby so maybe I should get rid of it.' "

Like Moritz, Cornacchia made an appointment at the Collier Pregnancy Centers, and like Moritz, Cornacchia was convinced not to have an abortion when she saw the ultrasound image of her unborn child.

She took a printout of the ultrasound image to show her boyfriend.

"After he saw the picture of the ultrasound and he could see there was a life in there, he agreed we should have the baby," she said.

Their daughter, Ciana Russell, was born May 11. The couple lived with Cornacchia's parents during the pregnancy and immediately after the birth, but recently moved into an apartment of their own. They plan to be married in February.

"We know now that we made the right decision," Cornacchia said.

The ultrasound is a cornerstone of the services offered by Collier Pregnancy Centers, said Beth Chase, president and chief executive officer.

"The ultrasound truly honors a woman by giving her the truth," Chase said. "This is not a guessing game. Women can see the developmental stage of their child."

The Pregnancy Centers charges a $5 administrative fee, which allows a woman to get the pregnancy test, ultrasound and counseling, but women who can't afford to pay don't have to. The Pregnancy Centers also offers free parenting classes and ongoing counseling.

"If a woman decides she wants her baby, we help her develop a plan for the future. We talk about how she can continue her education, we help her find quality day care. For women with no health insurance, we guide them through the process of applying for Medicaid. For women who decide to place their baby for adoption, we provide referrals to quality adoption agencies. In essence, we provide the necessary resources so a woman can make a choice for life," Chase said. "Our goal is that no woman walk out of here who falls through the cracks and ends up with an abortion."

	DETAILS
	To find out more about the services offered by the Collier Pregnancy Centers, or to make an appointment, call (239) 262-6381. Or visit the Center's Web site at www.cpcimedical.com. Tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to 970 Fifth Ave. N., Naples, FL 34102.

The dinner, dubbed "Building a Culture of Life," begins at 6 p.m. at the Registry Resort. Tickets cost $250 per person. For more information, call (239) 263-0365 or (239) 262-6381.

Funding is important for the Pregnancy Centers to continue their mission, Chase said. The cost to the Pregnancy Centers for each ultrasound is $350, she said.

Christine Mosca, a nurse and counselor at the Pregnancy Centers, said each woman in a crisis pregnancy has to be treated as an individual.

"Each woman is different in mind, body and spirit," Mosca said. "We help them explore the biggest worries about their pregnancy. We explore their living situation, their support system, their financial situation, their goals for continuing their education if they are still in school. Most are single and are worried about how their parents or boyfriend will react. We help them understand that this is their body and their unborn child and they have the right to choose to keep the child no matter what their boyfriend or parents might want them to do."

Another important concept Mosca and the others at the Pregnancy Centers try to impart is what is known as "secondary virginity."

"We let them know that they can start over, even if they've been sexually active in the past, they can choose to remain abstinent from that moment on until they are married," Chase said. "We help them understand that when they are physically intimate with someone, they are giving part of themselves away, that there are emotional and physical consequences to having sex. If they can wait to have sex again until they are with a partner who is ready to commit to them for life, it empowers them to respect their bodies more."

Women who don't want an abortion, but just can't imagine raising a child are educated about adoption.

"Many women don't realize they can be involved in choosing who the adoptive parents will be, that they can maintain varying levels of contact with the child depending on how the adoption is set up," Chase said.

Moritz said she has no regrets about placing her child for adoption.

"I got to meet the parents," she said. "The mother came with me to my doctor's appointments and she cut the umbilical cord when the baby was born. They send me pictures of him every three months, and one day if he asks to meet me, I might get that chance."

Even though it was hard to say goodbye to her son after he was born, she said she is gratified by the idea that she enabled another couple to have a child.

"When I saw the looks on their faces after he was born, how happy they were, it made it all worthwhile," she said.

Cornacchia is equally gratified by her decision to keep her baby girl. She knows she did the right thing every time she looks into her infant's tiny blue-green eyes.

"I can't say enough about the Collier Pregnancy Centers," she said. "It's a very good place to go if you need help and you're scared."