Faith Maternity Care (FMC) supports women who choose to carry their babies to full term by providing a home for expectant mothers and community services for those who already have a place to call home. Our board is made up of members with a heart for service who want to make a meaningful impact in the lives of mothers who choose life and their children.
As the newest member of the FMC board, I have quickly realized what a tremendous group of people God has led me to join. It is an honor to serve in this capacity. So far, I have helped with hiring a new staff member, some policy and procedure updates, and assisting the FMC program director in finding someone to teach a nutrition class to the ladies at FMC. I am a Missouri native, growing up in the small town of Malta Bend. There were fifteen students in my class, many of whom I had known since kindergarten. I am blessed to still have my childhood best friends in my life because not long after graduating, I moved away. I have written and published a book (a bucket list item for me), and I enjoy writing poetry. A couple of poems have been used in a speech or eulogy. I have also assisted with grief support groups, which probably led to my working in hospice.
My husband, Brian, is also a Missouri native, and we have been married for thirty-seven years. His career in the United States Marine Corps, and then his second career in insurance, has led us to move to five different states before returning to Missouri in 2021. We have one daughter.
I have worked in a variety of settings during my years as a nurse, including weight management, family medicine, urgent care, geriatrics and hospice. Of all of these, I learned the most about human nature during my years working in hospice. So many people endured countless surgeries, treatments and suffering to try to add just a little more time with family and friends. Not one person ever told me on their deathbed that they wished they had worked more. The number one concern of most patients was their relationships. It was an impactful lesson.
One of the things that had a profound impact on me happened when I was in nursing school. As part of our curriculum, we watched a film of an actual abortion. It was from the ultrasound view, where we could see the baby in the womb as the instrument was trying to vacuum it out alive. It was not just a clump of cells; it was a human with a heartbeat and well-defined body parts. The baby kept moving away from the instrument until, ultimately, it died. I had such a visceral reaction to this that it stayed with me all these years. Every time I watched the birth of a baby, I shed a few tears at the miracle I was blessed to witness. This is what makes me passionate about being on the board at FMC. If I can, in some way, help any of these babies to have the chance to grow into what God has designed them to become, then I have fulfilled my mission.
One of my favorite scriptures is Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This is my prayer for the women and children that FMC serves.