Mobile Pregnancy Unit Offers 'Hope and Compassion' to Pregnant Women in MS Delta

GREENWOOD, Mississippi – Saving the lives of unborn babies: that's the mission of one Mississippi couple – using an RV to bring pregnancy care to expectant mothers. 

They're helping women in some of the poorest neighborhoods in America, as the couple seeks to transform the region. 
 
"This is a mobile pregnancy center – it's ministering and sharing the gospel with women here in the Mississippi Delta region," said Pastor Joseph Parker from Tupelo, MS. 

Guided by their faith – Pastor Parker and his wife, Birdie have raised nearly $20,000 to purchase an RV for helping pregnant women in the Delta choose life over abortion. 

"It's also sharing hope and compassion with those who would otherwise be hopeless," Parker said. "One of the priority goals is to share the gospel and do discipleship work – we provide free ultrasounds and free pregnancy tests."

After the Supreme Court ended legalized abortion across America, handing the decision to the states, the procedure became illegal in Mississippi. That includes the use of abortion pills, which is punishable by up to 5-years in prison. Still, those pills are easily accessible by mail or other means. 

"A goal that we have soon is to be a facility that hopefully provides something called abortion pill reversal," said Parker. "Even after women have begun the process of aborting their child, it can be reversed and successful if caught within the first 24-48 hours."

The Parkers and their RV joined ICU Mobile, which supports mobile pregnancy units serving more than 40 cities across 20 states. The organization's data shows 3-out-of-5 women who enter an ICU Mobile pregnancy unit will choose life. Since 2004, they've reached over 18,000 women who've chosen life after seeing their baby on ultrasound – and over 1,400 women have dedicated their lives to Christ.

The Mississippi Delta has unique challenges across the board, according to Parker. Those include being in a state scoring high in categories of poverty and mortality rates for both birthing mothers and infants. 

"I believe the church brings the answer to all these problems," Parker said. "Every problem is spiritual in nature first."

The mobile center will begin serving the cities of Greenwood, Greenville, and Starkville: where a main focus will be on the campus of Mississippi state, to give female students the chance to think twice before abortion. 

"So having a pregnancy clinic where a young woman can come and be counseled to let her know this is not the end of the world," said Parker. "There's hope and ways where we can help get you through this."

Parker hopes to also connect moms with a local church to help with long-term care after their baby is born. 

"Abortion is never a good option, because 100% of the time it results in the death of a precious child," Parker said.