When JAB learned she was pregnant, she faced a decision that would change her life. The father of her child did not want to be involved and pressured her to have an abortion. But JAB knew that was not the choice she wanted to make. She began exploring adoption, hoping to find an agency that could also provide housing during her pregnancy. She made call after call. Again and again, she encountered closed doors.

At the same time, she was afraid of how her family would respond to her pregnancy. She was managing financial pressures, continuing her education, and experiencing serious pregnancy-related illness. She was frightened, exhausted, and unsure where she could turn. But she kept searching. Eventually, someone gave her the number for Good Counsel's hotline.

When she called, she heard something different from what she had been hearing elsewhere. Yes. There was a place for her whenever she was ready. JAB entered Good Counsel's Staten Island home and later moved to Spring Valley. She described her time there as finding "her safe place." For the first time in a long while, she could focus on her pregnancy and her future without the constant uncertainty of where she would sleep or how she would meet her basic needs.

She continued her education, determined not to let her circumstances bring her dreams to an end. JAB is pursuing a master's degree in Special Education and English, with plans to attend law school. She hopes to become an international lawyer advocating for women and children, particularly in African countries. These are ambitious goals, and she is working hard to achieve them. But perhaps the most unexpected chapter in her story unfolded within her own family. Shortly before her daughter was born, JAB reconciled with her family. The baby she had once been afraid to tell them about became a source of joy for everyone.

After her daughter's birth, JAB returned to live with family. She continues her studies, has begun an education internship, and still visits Good Counsel from time to time. Her story is a reminder that we cannot always see what lies beyond our most difficult moments. JAB didn't know how her family would respond. She didn't know where she would live. She didn't know whether she could continue her education while preparing to become a mother. But she knew she wanted to give her daughter a future, and she kept looking for a way forward.

Sometimes courage looks like making one more phone call after everyone else has said no. And sometimes all it takes is one person willing to say yes.

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