By Laura Berry, MBA

Sometimes, a dose of hope and medicine is enough to set a life—or two—back in motion.

When Emily S. of Huntington, California, found out she was pregnant, at first, to her, hope looked like an abortion.

Only twenty-two years old and raising a six-year-old daughter alone, Emily saw the prospect of having another child as overwhelming, especially amid a pandemic and so much uncertainty. In fact, it felt impossible.

Little did she know, she not only had the support of her family, but also a community pregnancy help organization ready to serve her and Blessings International’s commitment to provide long before the hour of need. But she just couldn’t see it.

All she could see was a quick fix.

And so, without anyone’s knowledge, she sought out a chemical abortion.

The next day, she was having lunch with her uncle when she mentioned what she had done. All her uncle could say was, “But, Emily, why?”

“I just couldn’t do it.” So much tension had been released by simply telling someone. She could now feel the tears threatening. “I couldn’t raise another kid alone. I just couldn’t…”

In the moments that followed, as her uncle put his hand on her shoulder and promised that Emily would always have his support as well as her mom’s, everything that was lined up and ready to save a life, began to fall into place.

Picking up her phone with shaking hands, Emily found the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline and was directed to a local pregnancy center that had just received their Blessings International shipment of progesterone.

Now the only question that remained was whether there was still time.

As soon as Emily arrived at the clinic, staff members performed an ultrasound. Sure enough, the baby was alive.

There were only a couple of bottles of progesterone on the pharmacy shelf, but once in Emily’s hands, it was all that was needed. The progesterone therapy came just in time, and when Emily returned within a week, the next ultrasound showed that the baby was well and growing quickly.

Whether hope looks like a promise or a bottle of progesterone, the biggest blessings often come in small doses. Thankfully for Emily and her baby, her dose of hope came at just the right time, in just the right form.

To learn more about Blessings International and how they supply pregnancy centers across the United States with progesterone, essential medicines, prenatal vitamins, and medical supplies geared toward pregnancy centers, visit https://blessing.org/prc/ and ask about the 40% discount and free shipping.

To refer someone to the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline, visit www.abortionpillreversal.com or call 1-877-558-0333. There is a hotline with nurses available 24/7 to assist women who are seeking reversal. This team refers to more than 1,000 providers in the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, including the pregnancy center that helped this young woman, that provide hope for those seeking to reverse their chemical abortion. 

This month we are highlighting Lisa Searle, one of our Healthcare Team Managers. Lisa assists our affiliates with medical questions and oversees the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline. Before joining the Medical Impact Team almost two years ago, she served for two years as an Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline Consultant. Lisa brings to our team 19 years of nursing experience with four of those years spent serving within her local pregnancy help center. She brings so much wisdom to our team and is always willing to offer education and assistance to advance the pregnancy help community. We count ourselves blessed to have her on the team!

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in the heart of eastern North Carolina. Goldsboro is a little town known for pigs, pickles, and planes. Goldsboro is home to the Seymour Johnson Airforce Base. Mount Olive Pickle Company is not too far from town. You will find some of the best Eastern North Carolina BBQ as you drive through headed to the coast which is only two hours away. Barton College is in Wilson, North Carolina. I attended Barton College and earned my nursing degree.

Share with us about your family.

My husband and I are celebrating 17 years of marriage this month. God has blessed us with two children, Costin, 16 years old and Asher, 9 years old. We share our home with two dogs Izzy and Sarge, our crazy kitty Petunia Butterfly, two African Dwarf Frogs, Bobby and Chunky, as well as Karen, the snail.

What was your favorite part of helping clients in the pregnancy center?

Spending time with the abortion-minded client is what I love to do.

Getting to know her, building trust to form a lasting relationship. I enjoy providing abortion education, introducing the client to her baby during her first ultrasound and guiding her down a path of life-affirming choices.

Tell us about what brought you to Heartbeat International.

While working in the pregnancy center I learned about Abortion Pill Rescue Network and was encouraged by my peers to join the team of nurse consultants. I worked as a nurse consultant for two years prior to becoming a part of the Medical Impact Team. I accepted the position of Nurse Manager with Heartbeat International in November 2019.

Tell us about your experiences sharing APR with others through presentations.

Educating the community on how to help a woman who is desperately seeking to reverse her abortion is life-changing and the impact goes beyond what we can predict. The audience is receptive and amazed at how this treatment works. Likewise, I stand in awe at what God has given us—a treatment that can give women a second chance at choice! It really is amazing.

Tell us about your experiences helping clients on the APR Hotline and now overseeing the Hotline as one of the Healthcare Team Managers.

There are currently four Healthcare Team Managers who rotate through the hotline schedule. We each oversee the hotline one week out of the month. The hotline consists of 34 nurse consultants, 3 Nurse Advocates, and a total of 42 shifts per week. The days are tough. We experience spiritual warfare, and the battles are difficult.

Our team believes in the mission of APRN. We are strong in faith and have been called to this position for such a time as this. We fight to save the lives of babies and to protect women and families from the pain of abortion. The devil attempts to deceive and divide but we stand firm that the devil will never win. Our faith in God, our leadership, and our commitment to each other get us through the toughest days. Oversight week is one of the most exhausting weeks, but it is also full of rewards. Making a difference in the lives of women, children, and families makes it worth every second.

Tell us about working on the Medical Impact Team.

Educating Pregnancy Help Organizations on how to best meet the needs of their community is important. I enjoy helping organizations develop medical policy and procedures that will allow them to be successful when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, abortion, STI, and disruption of sexual integrity within their community.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I love educating people and I get to do it often here at Heartbeat International. Whether I am teaching the abortion-minded client about reversal or the Pregnancy Help Center about starting medical services, I am sharing useful information that can be used to make the world a little better.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

Visiting the beach and spending time with friends and family is great self-care for me. You can find me on the dock enjoying God’s beautiful creation.

What is something else you would like to share?

When I was 13 years old, I discovered my love for Women’s Health while volunteering as a Candy Striper in the Labor and Delivery Unit of the local hospital. As a young nursing student, I took a job in an abortion clinic because of my desire to help women and to also increase my knowledge in Gynecology. The time spent in the abortion clinic revealed a painful truth about abortion but most of all has given me an undying passion to protect the preborn and those affected by abortion. After leaving the abortion clinic, I went on to enjoy a successful career in obstetrical nursing. Prior to joining the team at Heartbeat International, I spent four years as a nurse manager of a Pregnancy Center where I was given the support I needed to begin my healing journey. I am grateful to God for his grace and mercy and for giving purpose to my past. 

With laws recently passed (TX Heartbeat Bill) and legislation pending (Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health) along with many others, we believe this is a “must-read” for Boards and Leadership teams of Pregnancy Help Clinics.

Now is the time, at the board level through the entire organization, to re-visit your Policy & Procedures (along with your Medical Director) to ensure they are inclusive of all that is necessary to empower a woman to make a life-affirming decision.

Heartbeat's Director of Medical Impact, Christa Brown BSN, RN, LAS, recently wrote the following article for our September Medical Matters publication, as first in a series that outlines techniques abortion facility staff have used to deceive women seeking information to make a pregnancy decision. As you read the article, think about timing, accessibility, and approved protocols.

Overall, boards are responsible for developing and overseeing written P&P that clarify the values of the organization, increase professionalism, improve communications, make leadership transitions more seamless, provide protection, and release the staff to be creative and productive because they know where “boundaries” are to serve clients with care and competence.

We hope this piece opens a great dialogue for your leadership team.

Read the full article "The Many Ways Abortion Providers Deceive Women #1: Fetal heartbeat and fetal heart motion"

Deception: “Your baby has no heartbeat” (read the truth)

For more help with policy and procedures, or other board matters in the midst of changing times, utilize the Heartbeat Governing Essentials manual or training, the Heartbeat Academy, or reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By now, you have probably seen that Google has banned any and all advertising efforts promoting Abortion Pill Reversal. This life-saving protocol has been pulled down under a new Google policy that bans "unreliable claims." 

Unfortunately, Google is wrong. Time and again, we have seen the power of Abortion Pill Reversal in the mothers' gratitude and the babies' smiles. Statistics show thousands of lives have been saved thanks to Abortion Pill Reversal and you, those on the frontlines meeting with women and offering true choice.

Thankfully, in spite of the ads being pulled, women are still finding the APRN for help. Through sidewalk advocates, pregnancy centers, word of mouth, and organic search results, we are still seeing reversal starts! 

Women who find our Network do so out of an inherent motherly instinct to save her baby's life in a way that, sadly, Google would rather they never know about. These women find our Abortion Pill Rescue Network primarily through Google searches. More than 90% of our contacts come from online referrals - both paid and organic.

Big Tech's censorship of Abortion Pill Reversal denies women the right to try to save their pregnancies. It makes completing the chemical abortion the only option for them.  

We know the truth. Reversal works for 2 out of 3 women. While Google claims Abortion Pill Reversal is an "unreliable claim," we get to see in the flutter of the heartbeat on our ultrasound machines; the tears of happiness on the mom's face; and the relief in her voice when we get to tell her that she was able to save her baby's life. 

In fact, just this past Friday, the Charlotte Lozier Institute published a report showing the efficacy of Abortion Pill Reversal. 

Heartbeat International and our pro-life friends are working hard to fight this attack by Big Tech and will continue to do so. Every woman deserves to know the whole truth about abortion; that includes the facts about her unborn child, and the choices she can make every step of the way.

If your organization is experiencing issues having your digital ads approved, read What You Can Do Right Now About "Unreliable Claims"

Keep fighting the good fight! We're here for you.

Brent Boles, M.D.
APRN Medical Director

by Tammy Stearns, MS, RDMS, RVT, RT(R), FSDMS, LAS
Heartbeat International, Ultrasound Consultant

Pregnancy Help Medical Clinics (PHMCs) fulfill a very unique role. A role that meets the women that we serve on the front lines of chaos in the very throes of crisis. By the uniqueness of the role and the components needed to fulfill it, oftentimes it seems as if our medical side is a square peg trying to be fit in a round hole.

It doesn’t always seem like a fit.

We seem to either embrace a side that is considered too liberal or we find ourselves trying to fulfill our roles with at least one, if not two hands, tied behind our backs. This can leave us not fulfilling the part God has given us to play to the best of the abilities He has given us. Perhaps, instead of trying to fit into this world, we might embrace His equipping.

The key purpose of performing Limited Diagnostic Obstetrical Ultrasounds in PHMC is to introduce mom to her baby for the very first time. This is such a privilege, an honor. During this limited scan, we can also provide her with some vital information to help her make the critical decision she is trying to make. We can provide the approximate age of the baby, verify a beating heart, and the location of the pregnancy. A limited scan is not designed to take the place of a higher level medical ultrasound performed in hospitals, but rather a bridge to her obstetrician.

A hospital setting provides full and complete scans. And this is not an entertainment facility. PHMCs are rather a place that offers hope, encouragement, and options.

Medical clinics and hospitals, depending on where they are located, may be regulated by state and/or insurance regulations. Most of these are directly tied to reimbursement ensuring that the person performing the scan is qualified by the qualifications defined by the governing body. Even the federal laws that have been pursued to regulate ultrasound have been tied to reimbursement. Our services are free and are outside of these requirements.

Currently, some ultrasounds are performed in medical clinics and hospitals by sonographers that have cross-trained over into other areas of sonography. Some have sought additional credentials, some have not. The requirement depends on the standards set by the organization. All medical facilities have varying degrees of requirements for their personnel that perform exams. These requirements are thorough and medically complete, providing diagnostic information. Interesting to note, even the states that require licensure of sonography require that the sonographer be credentialed in sonography but do not require that the sonographer be credentialed in the area of sonography in which they are currently scanning. The requirement is the sonographer must hold one sonography credential.

Therefore, a sonographer credentialed in vascular technology can be licensed in sonography and can scan obstetrical exams. Some hospitals and clinics also permit sonographers who have completed their training, be it on the job, from a nonaccredited program or an accredited program, to scan within their facilities. Again, the requirements are completely dependent on the facility and the Medical Director.

While there is the thought of standards of care, one must look to the peer comparison of the standard being sought. PHMCs are a unique entity. PHMCs are quite different and distinct from hospitals and medical clinics that provide thorough and complete exams for diagnostic purposes as part of the patient care plan. Within these settings, there is a much different standard of care.

Who is qualified to perform ultrasounds within a Pregnancy Help Clinic is decided by each specific Medical Director.

Heartbeat International supports the idea that those who perform ultrasounds must be qualified to perform the unique exams that are offered in PHMCs. Compliance of qualifications may be demonstrated by being credentialed in sonography by one of the nationally recognized credentialing organizations of sonography to include, but not limited to, ARDMS, ARRT or CCI, demonstrates clinic competence specific to the exam and, perhaps most important of all, the LOVE Approach method of scanning. Licensed nurses and other medical professionals may also meet the qualifications by completing recommendations specific to their profession. (AWHONN has set a national recommendation for registered nurses to perform limited ultrasounds.)

The obstacles and spiritual warfare can be fierce for those imaging on the front lines of the prolife movement. Let us not unnecessarily limit ourselves where there currently is favor concerning the legal requirements defining who may perform ultrasounds by seeking to hold the Centers at higher standards than hospitals and medical clinics. Let us remember that God equips Who He calls. Always.

This month we are highlighting Teresa Tholany, one of our Healthcare Team Managers. Teresa assists our affiliates with their medical questions and oversees the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline. Before Teresa joined our Medical Impact team she was working in a Pregnancy Help Clinic for nearly five years and also in an administrative position in a hospital. She has been such a blessing to our team and for those of you who have already talked with her, we know you love her too!

Where did you grow up and go to school? I grew up near Buffalo, NY a few miles away from Lake Erie - a prime location for lake effect snow! I was homeschooled K-12th grade so even when we did get lake effect snow and the school district had a snow day, we didn't get a snow day because our books and teacher were at home with us!

Tell us about your recent wedding. My husband and I got married this past July and the wedding day truly was a dream and went so smoothly! We got married in Hamburg, NY and Joe's family traveled across the state from Congers, NY to be present for the wedding festivities! Joe's parents are from Kerala, India so we included some traditions that are important to them in our wedding.

Tell us about your husband. Joe and I met at work at the hospital. I was a floor nurse and he was a resident. I was adamant that I would never date a doctor and he always said he would never date a nurse - I guess we're proof it just takes the right person to change your mind and take a chance on! We actually worked together for two years before we started talking and dating. Joe is now in his second and final year of fellowship as an Infectious Disease Doctor and looks forward to working as an attending next year.

Tell us about your experience assisting with the Love Approach ultrasound clinical. Training nurses has been one of the best work experiences I have ever had. Everyone loves to share with others something that they are passionate about - and limited ultrasounds happen to be something I am passionate about! Being able to encourage, empower, and equip other nurses to perform limited OB ultrasounds using the LOVE Approach method was not only a great opportunity to share something I am passionate about with others, but it also gave me the opportunity to be inspired by the eagerness the nurses had to go back to their centers and introduce moms and dads to their babies via limited ultrasound!

What was your favorite part of helping clients in a center? My favorite part of helping clients in the center I worked at was showing the moms, dads, and families their little baby on the ultrasound screen.

Tell us about helping clients on APR hotline and now overseeing the hotline. Working with clients on the hotline gave me an even deeper respect and admiration for women who seek reversal of a chemical abortion. Seeing their momma instincts kick in and their bravery and determination to do everything in their power to help their baby is truly inspiring. Now as a Healthcare Team Manager overseeing the hotline, it is amazing to see the bigger picture of how many women our hotline nurses are impacting each and every day. It is humbling to have the privilege of working with and praying for the nurses who are assisting women who are in such difficult positions.

Tell us about working with the Medical Impact team. The Medical Impact Team is the best group of coworkers anyone could ask for! The leadership, support, and camaraderie on the team is a blessing! It is a gift to work in an environment that aligns with your beliefs and where everyone is striving to advance the same cause.

Tell us about how you help affiliates now with their medical services in a center. I enjoy serving our affiliates by answering their questions about ultrasound training, STI testing, offering abortion pill reversal in their center, and anything and everything related to the medical services centers offer. It is always wonderful to connect with our affiliates one-on-one and support them in their endeavors.

What do you enjoy most about your work? Mother Teresa said, "we can do no great things, only small things with great love." I enjoy all of the small opportunities that my job offers me - assisting an affiliate with a question, helping a nurse on the hotline find a provider for a woman seeking reversal - because these small situations offer opportunities to not just serve others but to serve others with great love which is what we are all called to do in life but especially in pregnancy help organizations.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work? You can always find me in the kitchen cooking or baking or in the living room working out when I'm not working!

What else would you like to share? The "So Delicious" dairy-free Dipped Coconut Almond Coconut Milk Ice Cream Bars are the most delicious frozen treat there is!

by Brooke Myrick BSN, RN, LAS

“With zero hesitation I called the number and was answered by a very kind, helpful and empathetic representative who listened to my concern. She was so caring and really helped me feel a great sense of hope. She handled my call with genuine care, but urgency, as she explained that the agency would locate an APR provider in my area who would be able to administer the progesterone and provide me with special and closely monitored maternity care.

"I felt a calm come over me that I was in the right vein where God wanted me to be and to just trust that He is now in control of the situation! God gave me the name Serenity Grace and I believe she brings just that to my life in a very deep and meaningful way! With His help, guidance, inner healing, love, and goodness I made it to FULL TERM. At 39 weeks on January 27, 2021, my miracle baby arrived!” - Kayla, APR Client

These are the stories that bring APR to life! Statistics now show that more than 2,500 lives have been saved (and counting) as women successfully stop their chemical abortions and save their children through the Abortion Pill Rescue Network.

What should a woman do if she starts a chemical abortion and is having regret?

A woman who would like to learn more about reversing the effects of chemical abortion and possibly continuing her pregnancy should call the Abortion Pill Rescue hotline 877.558.0333 or go to the APR website to begin a live chat. Heartbeat International has medical professionals waiting to answer her questions, explain reversal, and connect her with an APR Network Provider in her area 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

While Google may have taken down the ability to advertise for APR, AbortionPillReversal.com website, phone, and chat are still available and can be found organically through a search. We continue to be available for women. We need your help now more than ever to promote this life-saving protocol. 

To receive an APR Provider Kit or for additional information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For Immediate Release
September 16, 2021
Andrea Trudden
Sr. Director of Communications & Marketing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(614) 885-7577

Pro-Life Network that Manages Abortion Pill Rescue Network Calls Out Report Google Used to Ban Life-Saving Ads

Columbus, OH – Today, Heartbeat International, the world’s largest pregnancy help network, which manages the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, sent a letter to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) demanding that they remove factually false information from the “Endangering Women for Profit” report.

On Tuesday, Google removed Heartbeat International’s ads promoting the Abortion Pill Reversal hotline following the inaccurate claims within the CCDH report. Other news outlets then amplified this false data in their own reporting.

The letter from Heartbeat calls for the full and immediate removal of incorrect data from the report and requests a correction be published, noting the inaccuracies.

“The CCDH’s choice to base this report on inaccurate information and a single failed study demonstrates their interest is promoting Big Abortion and not empowering women with real choices,” said Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International. “By removing Abortion Pill Reversal ads from Google, they silence the only viable option for women who are looking to reverse the effects of the abortion pill, effectively forcing women to complete an abortion they no longer want.”

Statistics show that Abortion Pill Reversal has saved over 2,500 babies and empowered women by putting choice back into their hands. These are the stories that the ads targeted by Google and CCDH tell. The Center for Countering Digital Hate would rather pretend these women and children do not exist than allow a true choice for women.

View the letter here.

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For more information on Heartbeat International go to www.HeartbeatInternational.org.

About Abortion Pill Rescue Network: Abortion pill reversal is a cutting-edge application of a time-tested, FDA-approved treatment used for decades to prevent miscarriage and preterm birth. It involves emergency, ongoing doses of progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion pill. From the moment a woman takes the abortion pill, she has about 72 hours to change her mind and save her baby. The Abortion Pill Rescue Network answers more than 300 mission-critical calls a month from women who regret their abortion decision. Statistics show that more than 2,500 lives have been saved (and counting) through the abortion pill reversal protocol.

If you or someone you know took the abortion pill and regret it, there may still be time. The Abortion Pill Reversal hotline provides free and confidential care 24/7. Call 877.558.0333 or go to www.AbortionPillReversal.com now. There may still be time to save your pregnancy.

About Heartbeat International: Heartbeat International is the largest network of pro-life pregnancy help in the world, with nearly 3,000 affiliated locations in more than 70 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Contact: Andrea Trudden, Sr. Director of Communications and Marketing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Columbus, OH – Women deserve to know the truth about all their options; that is why it is extremely disappointing to see Big Tech kowtow to Big Abortion. In the latest attack against pregnancy help, a petition was launched by The Center for Countering Digital Hate demanding that Google and Facebook not only remove any and all ads mentioning Abortion Pill Reversal but also demands that the tech companies “donate revenues from ads…to organizations providing science-based care for women.”

If this latest report was a fair assessment of all digital advertising, it would note that what meager dollar amount Heartbeat International spends pales in comparison to groups like Planned Parenthood that spends millions upon millions of dollars in digital advertising each year to influence the culture to embrace abortion. 

Abortion Pill Reversal works. Statistics show that more than 2,500 lives have been saved by reversal so far. Unfortunately, The Center for Countering Digital Hate pretends these women and children do not exist rather than allowing women a true choice for those seeking to reverse the effects of the abortion pill. 

By removing Abortion Pill Reversal ads from Google and Facebook—two of the largest tech companies in the world—these companies silence the only viable option for women who seek to reverse the effects of the abortion pill.

To pretend that women do not regret their abortion choice denies reality. Studies have shown this and women have stated it.

We have a viable option available to women who seek to reverse the effects of the abortion pill through the use of progesterone. Why would anyone seek to suppress that knowledge from women?

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For more information on Heartbeat International go to www.HeartbeatInternational.org.

About Abortion Pill Rescue Network: Abortion pill reversal is a cutting-edge application of a time-tested, FDA-approved treatment used for decades to prevent miscarriage and preterm birth. It involves emergency, ongoing doses of progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion pill. From the moment a woman takes the abortion pill, she has about 72 hours to change her mind and save her baby. The Abortion Pill Rescue Network answers more than 300 mission-critical calls a month from women who regret their abortion decision. Statistics show that more than 2,500 lives have been saved (and counting) through the abortion pill reversal protocol.

If you or someone you know took the abortion pill and regret it, there may still be time. The Abortion Pill Reversal hotline provides free and confidential care 24/7. Call 877.558.0333 or go to www.AbortionPillReversal.com now. There may still be time to save your pregnancy.

About Heartbeat International: Heartbeat International is the largest network of pro-life pregnancy help in the world, with nearly 3,000 affiliated locations in more than 70 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.