LifeChoice Pregnancy Center mobile medical unit visits Torrington

A. Marie Hamilton
Posted 3/24/23

TORRINGTON – Goshen County Republic Women received a visit from both Goshen County Right to Life and the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center’s mobile medical unit at their meeting on March 17.

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LifeChoice Pregnancy Center mobile medical unit visits Torrington

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TORRINGTON – Goshen County Republic Women received a visit from both Goshen County Right to Life and the LifeChoice Pregnancy Center’s mobile medical unit at their meeting on March 17.

Currently, the unit makes regular stops in Torrington on the third Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The mobile medical unit offers on-site pregnancy tests, limited obstetrical ultrasounds, sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea, pregnancy decision coaching and educational videos.

The meeting opened with a prayer for the nation, a speech and the singing of song, “America.”

Goshen County Republican Women Chairperson Lee Hageman pointed out the first platform of the Wyoming Republican Party is life. 

“All individuals are endowed by their Creator from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death with the right to Life, Liberty, Property and the Pursuit of Happiness,” the platform reads. “The only purpose of government is to protect these rights for all.”

Employees of LifeChoice then presented on the abilities of LifeChoice Pregnancy Center and their mobile medical unit. Following the presentation, members of Goshen County Republican Women were provided an opportunity to tour the mobile medical unit and learn more about their services.

According to LifeChoice Pregnancy Care Center, one-in-four women at church are harboring a secret abortion and the organization is highlighting a relatively new program to help women who are seeking healing post abortion. 

The group talked about the program during a mock baby shower it hosted in Torrington at Lighthouse Ministries with other community churches on Saturday to raise money for its pregnancy programs.

Wyoming Right to Life, LifeChoice and area churches hosted a mock baby shower on Saturday at Torrington’s Lighthouse Ministries to raise money for its various programs, to discuss programs it is now highlighting and display its mobile pregnancy unit that travels between Cheyenne, Wheatland, Pine Bluffs and Torrington.

“The statistic is, one-in-four women sitting in the pews at church have held a secret abortion and harbor a lot of pain and hurt,” LifeChoice Education Director Charla Ricciardi explained. “We launched this program a little while ago, but we are focusing more on it now to get the word out that we want to help women heal after an abortion they probably regret.”

Ricciardi further explained the program, called “Surrendering the Secret” is a “Eight-week course with counselors who help hurting women find a path toward peace and self-forgiveness.”

“A lot of women find it most difficult to forgive themselves and many of them hold in their secret abortions for years, I’ve met women who have held it in for thirty, forty or fifty years,” Ricciardi said. “The study is a very interactive study and support group where the women can seek healing.”

Adding, “The reasons range greatly among women we help, such as they thought an abortion would solve all their problems and life would be normal again or they thought it would end their pain.”

“Some even confessed they thought they had healed and moved on after having children later, but say they still hurt even after having children post abortion,” Ricciardi stated. “However, mostly, a lot of women say they couldn’t share their grief or manage their pain. Many say they turned to drugs and alcohol to dull the pain.”

“We are highlighting this program now after hearing from a number of program participants, our various community partners and members because we realize there are a lot of hurting women who haven’t surrendered the secret and who need help healing,” Ricciardi stated. “That’s what we are here for with this program.”

However, the mock baby shower wasn’t solely focused on the newer program the organization is seeking to advance more, it was mainly to highlight its mobile pregnancy unit, to raise baby item donations and to raise money for its various programs for expecting mothers, new mothers and mothers in need.

LifeChoice Nurse Manager Judie Ogle said, “Several churches in the area here in Goshen County have come together – which they do every year with us – to host a mock baby shower and Lighthouse Ministries is hosting us.”

Adding, “This fundraiser will go to blessing the families and future families of our program so they can earn what we call ‘Baby Bucks’ to buy essentials for their babies, such as diapers, wipes and clothing. They can also save their ‘Baby Bucks’ to purchase larger items like car seats and strollers.”

Ogle said the car seats and strollers were donated by Lighthouse Ministries for the group, for its participants.

Education Director Ricciardi said participants earn ‘Baby Bucks’ by participating in an ever-increasing catalog of classes, of which there is no maximum or cap on how many courses participants can take.

“What’s really good about these educational courses, called ‘Bright Courses’ is that they are virtual, meaning our participants can do them on their mobile devices, laptops or tablets,” Ricciardi said. “Some courses are in-person, but most can be done online and virtually.”

The courses range from pregnancy and birth, birthrights, a child’s first year, toddler ages, a variety of parenting topics, co-parenting topics, life skills, love lessons, special circumstances such as healing from prior abuse, establishing healthy partnerships and relationships, faith-based bible studies and new courses for fathers on fatherhood.

“We are really excited because we recently added additional courses aimed at fathers for fatherhood,” Ricciardi stated. “Those courses talk about things like taking care of a mother’s pregnancy, birth, postpartum for baby and mother, being a role model and leader, respecting mothers and different courses regarding discipline.”

Ricciardi said, “Ultimately, we want parents or soon-to-be parents, to be enriched with these programs so that they can raise their children but also give them the gospel if they are willing because we are a faith-based organization – nondenominational, and work with several churches and faiths.”

“However, I want to highlight the fact that we also offer the courses in Spanish because we saw there was a need to do so,” Ricciardi added. 

Ricciardi explained the mobile pregnancy unit travels between Pine Bluffs, Wheatland, Cheyenne and Torrington once a month and offers a dating ultrasound.

“Our ultrasound technicians aren’t able to do gender or look for potential pregnancy or child concerns – at this time, our technicians only are able to offer a dating ultrasound to determine gestational age,” Ricciardi explained. “However, our techs can determine viability of pregnancy as well and it helps parents who need to seek pregnancy verification for Medicaid because expecting mother’s can’t get medical assistance without pregnancy verification. So we’ve partnered with them to provide that service also.”

Adding, “What we use the mobile unit for, besides blessing families with an ultrasound of their baby, is give them an option to come and learn about their pregnancy, participate in our various programs and offer them a faith-based bible study, if they are willing and, or want that.”

“I really love our ‘Baby Bucks’ program through the courses we offer, which a majority of classes are virtually and versatile for the participants, however, we also offer a ‘40th Week Boutique’ for families where they can shop for larger items or needs,” Ricciardi further explained.

“I want to highlight that anyone can join the educational courses and they don’t have to participate in the other programs,” Ricciardi said. 

Some data Ricciardi and LifeChoice provided to the Telegram is that in 2021 the organization provided 5,832 diapers to families in their programs; in 2022 they provided 12,877 diapers.

“We are more than doubling in need and the various communities have really stepped up in answering these needs and for that, we are thankful and blessed,” Ricciardi said. “All of our services are completely free of charge to our participants and our website classes are for everyone.”

“We receive no federal funding, so mock baby showers, like the one today, is what funds us and helps us provide services to our families,” Ricciardi said. “I also want to highlight that most of our staff are volunteers and not paid staff.”

In Southeastern Wyoming, which includes Goshen, Laramie, Platte counties, 58 churches and one business participated in mock baby showers and the organization’s baby bottle fundraiser in 2022, according to Ricciardi.

“We are so blessed and thrilled to see our various communities answer the needs and calls of our communities and participants, because last year alone we more than doubled the participation from churches and one business,” Ricciardi said. “But, of course, we could always use more aid and more support as we continue to see an increase of families needing help, services and want to participate in our various programs.”

In 2021, the organization saw participants complete 758 education classes, including fathers-to-be, and in 2022 they saw it increase to 1,417 educational classes completed by participants.

The organization grew its client visits, commitments to Christ, pregnancy testing, pregnancy ultrasounds and volunteer staffing.

“We can’t do this without our community partners and volunteers, and we are thrilled to be growing right now and be able to offer additional support, classes and programs – like our newer ‘Surrendering the Secret’ program,” Ricciardi said.

Participants in Saturday’s fundraiser brought in diapers, wipes, new baby clothing, toys and other like donations in addition to financial donations.

However, it’s the organization’s Baby Bottle fundraiser many churches are beginning to announce to its congregants that excited not only the organization, but also the mock baby shower participants.

“The Baby Bottle fundraiser is the highlight of our programs and it’s really fun for our participants,” Ogle said. “A lot of churches, organizations and businesses really love this fundraiser of throwing their change into the baby bottle and returning it to us.”

Ogle said any church, organization or business can participate in the program and should call LifeChoice in Cheyenne at 307-632-6323 if they would like to participate as soon as possible. For more information visit, wwww.lifechoicepcc.org.

Participants at the baby shower got to play typical baby shower games, snack on finger foods, enjoy some cake and learned more about the organization’s various programs, educational classes and heard more about the classes added aimed at fathers and fatherhood.