No One Could Know

Free prenatal care for the first three months of pregnancy is included in services provided at InnerVisions Health Care in Des Moines, Iowa.

Free STD testing and much more is also provided for women and men facing unplanned pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.

Executive Director Jenny Condon said up to 50 clients are served every week with compassionate non-judgmental information, sexual integrity education and free medical care, to empower them to make the most informed, life-affirming decisions for themselves and their families.

Other free services include:

• Obstetrical ultrasound
• Pregnancy testing
• STD risk assessments, diagnosis and treatment
• Abortion information: procedures, risks, and side effects
• Referrals for OB care and social services and adoption services

“For five-and-a-half years, we’ve been serving people in crisis to give them hope and healing,” she said.

As 2016 came to a close, InnerVisions tallied the following:

• 2,200 volunteer hours
• 600 patients
• 463 total babies saved
• 165 monthly supporters who help provide Bucks for Babies
• 41 hours open to the public each week
• 17 babies saved in the month of November 2016 – the most in one month
• 1 mission to empower women to save babies

Condon said the team hopes more women embrace their motherhood than ever before. They’re always looking for volunteers who truly care about women having all the information they deserve in order to make the decision that’s best for them. Medical-quality information and education is given with love and compassion, she added.

“We’re busy creating workshops and materials for education programs that can be tailored to each organization’s needs,” Condon said. “I have a passion for people in these kinds of crisis and my life is led from one step to the other. I’ve been called to open this clinic. It’s a combination of practicing medical care and doing it in a Christ-centered environment. That’ unusual for medicine.”

The organization started with two employees and a handful of volunteers. Now there’s a staff of 10 with a couple dozen volunteers. Condon is not a medical professional, but three other supporting physicians and a medical director volunteer are involved. They’re supported with a staff of nurses, some of whom are paid, while others volunteer.

“We’ve grown faster than we expected,” she said. “We work very hard to help women feel empowered to womanhood and motherhood. We don’t want them to feel intimidated in any way. We give truthful, factual options and hope that by doing that with love and compassion, it’s empowering to them.”

About 85 to 90 percent of their clients, she said, say they feel empowered from seeing their ultrasound.

“We’ve done a lot more than just medically empower people,” Condon said. “It’s not just about saving the baby – its’ about empowering the mother to save her baby.”

No federal or state dollars support their work, so if you’d like to donate, volunteer, or perhaps you’re looking for help, visit ivhcare.org or 1355 50th St., Suite 400 in West Des Moines.

To learn more or get help, call 515-440-CARE (2273).