Before becoming pregnant with my fifth child, I had spent seven years trapped in addiction, cycling in and out of jail and unhealthy relationships. Even through all of it, I never stopped believing in God. Deep down, I knew He was still with me, even when I couldn't see where my life was headed. After being arrested one last time, I knew something had to change. While I was in jail, I met another woman in recovery who told me about a sober living program. I was accepted, began rebuilding my life, and not long after, found out I was pregnant. I was scared. My family wasn't ready to trust me again, and I wasn't sure what my future would look like. But I felt God reminding me that this baby was part of His plan.
One day, a friend invited me to the local pregnancy resource center. I didn't want to go, but I felt the Lord telling me to trust Him. That's where I was introduced to Embrace Grace. From my very first meeting, I knew God had led me there. The leaders welcomed me with so much love and acceptance that I immediately felt like I belonged. Over the next twelve weeks, we laughed together, cried together, prayed together, and built a community rooted in the kind of grace only God can provide. They reminded me that my tattoos, my past, and every mistake I'd made didn't disqualify me from being deeply loved. Even after my son was diagnosed with Trisomy 13 during my pregnancy, they stood beside me through every doctor's appointment, every prayer, and every difficult decision. Then, on December 1, 2025, my son, John Asher Allen, was born perfectly healthy.
Just a few months later, I received a diagnosis I never expected: stage 4 rectal cancer. Looking back, I know God was preparing me long before that day. Even though the Embrace Grace program had ended, my leaders and the women from my group never left my side. They have prayed for me, encouraged me, helped meet practical needs, and reminded me that I don't have to fight this battle alone. Their love has strengthened my faith and given me hope on the hardest days. Today I'm continuing chemotherapy, rebuilding relationships with my family, and raising a healthy little boy. Embrace Grace didn't just walk with me through my pregnancy. God used it to surround me with the people I would need for the greatest battle of my life, and for that I will always be grateful.
Find a place of belonging in a support group for moms with unexpected pregnancies or single, young moms and dads.
