The Gift of an Ultrasound

Dear Friends of Stanton,

Earlier this month, I was reminded in a very personal way of the life-altering impact of prenatal ultrasound.

It isn’t easy to share, but I hope my story will remind you, our friend and supporter, that every ultrasound performed on the Stanton machine has an impact beyond what we can see.

From nurse training to high school presentations, each glimpse of a preborn child reaffirms the miracle of life.

Here at Stanton, we talk a lot about the difference a flickering heartbeat can make to a confused, lost mother when she is faced with the hardest choice of her life.

We have performed ultrasounds on teenage mothers who haven’t even told their parents.  We have peeked in on 30-week babies whose mothers don’t know how they are going to afford diapers.  Each time, the moving picture of a baby on the screen encourages another mother to keep her chin up and keep on striving for the sake of her family.

In February, at a routine Stanton ultrasound training, I was delighted to see my niece rolling and kicking on the monitor screen. My sister was 4 months pregnant with her first baby and she volunteered to serve as an ultrasound model for our Stanton volunteers.  

I could watch ultrasounds for hours, even without a personal connection to the mother and child. Seeing my sister's daughter for the first time was the cherry on top of that day’s ultrasound scans.

Earlier this month on July 7, that same niece was stillborn in an L.A. hospital. I was out of town on vacation, so I never was able to hold her, but I saw photos of her perfect face.

Even though I could look at the pictures of my precious little niece for hours, the images that mean the most to me come from the movie replaying in my mind – a healthy, bouncing tiny girl seen on the monitor of the Stanton ultrasound machine.

Because of that ultrasound, I saw my niece move and heard her heartbeat. I won’t have that chance again this side of heaven, but until then I will cherish the gift I was given and savor the memories of that day.

In an unexpected way, I was reminded this summer of the incredible power of ultrasound.  And if I was touched so significantly during my own family’s crisis, I can’t imagine the deep impact of a young Stanton client seeing her baby for the first time.

As we anticipate opening the Mobile Clinic this fall, I hope you will join me in grateful thanks for the ministry already performed with the help of our ultrasound machine!

Not only was I personally blessed this year, but Stanton’s ultrasound machine has visited public and private schools, churches, pregnancy resource centers and community events with the powerful message of life. 

For every pregnant mama we scanned, there is a story of the ultrasound’s impact, small or large. 

You are part of each story.  Thank you!

For Life,

Danielle Versluys
President, Stanton SoCal