OTTUMWA — Choosing life can be a difficult decision for women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Heartland Pregnancy Center hopes to ease the decision by providing services and resources during pregnancy and afterwards, accompanying mothers as their children grow. “We want to walk through this with them,” said Becky Dalyrmple, the center’s longtime director. “None of these choices are easy.”
By Barb Arland-Fye The Catholic Messenger Jeni Van Buer is a longtime early childhood educator, wife and mother, and a member of St. Thomas More Parish in Coralville who knows what moms and their young children need. A proposed bill to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months would fulfill an important need, she believes.
As the 45th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision approaches, Catholics are encouraged to take part in “9 Days for Life,” a digital pilgrimage of prayer and action focused on cherishing the gift of every person’s life.