$40,000 raised for ultrasound to help prevent abortion
By Chris Miller
The Western Catholic Reporter
EDMONTON (CCN)
Dave Hrbacek / CNS.
The Edmonton Pregnancy Crisis Centre has qualified counsellors, informative brochures, and educational videos for its clients. Recently the centre introduced a new tool to help prevent abortion.

A total of 33 Knights of Columbus councils from in and around Edmonton donated money for an ultrasound machine, which uses high-frequency sound waves to obtain internal images.

Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton blessed the new machine March 4.

A couple of years ago the Knights' supreme office began to encourage councils to purchase ultrasound machines for organizations that help women cope with pregnancies. Knights in the U.S. have donated 70 units to pregnancy crisis centres.

Society tells a pregnant woman that what's inside her is not a baby yet. She expects to see nothing more than a small black circle, but when she sees the tiny fingers and toes, her perception changes, said Lorie McMillan, director of the centre.

"It's been proved that by having an ultrasound machine, up to 90 per cent of women coming to a pregnancy crisis centre change their minds (about aborting their pregnancies) once they realize there is an actual baby," McMillan said.

"It's not just a blob of tissue or a little speck on a paper. This machine is not used to diagnose anything. It's strictly used to affirm the fact there is a life there," said McMillan.
Since the blessing, five women have had ultrasounds. Now that word is getting out about the machine through advertising in the Yellow Pages, brochures, and their new website, www.edpregnancy.ca, McMillan anticipates even more use.

The Edmonton Pregnancy Crisis Centre moved to its new 1,200-square-foot location at 11125 107 Ave. in July 2011. Situated along a major bus route, the new location is in close proximity to St. Joseph's High School, Grant MacEwan University, and NAIT.