Aid for Women Executive Director Issues Statement on New Chicago Clinic Offering Abortions at 34 Weeks

After more than two decades advocating for unborn children and their mothers, I thought I had seen everything. The abortion extremists in our state have proven me wrong, as described in Sunday's Chicago Tribune article about a new abortion clinic in Uptown, tragically called the Hope Clinic, that is proudly advertising that a woman can get an abortion at this facility through her 34th week of pregnancy! We are appalled that this is happening in Illinois.

Since the Dobbs decision, issued three years ago today, abortion legislative decisions have returned to the states. Common sense laws balancing the rights of mothers and unborn children have been enacted in many regions. In Illinois, our leaders have been vehement in their efforts to expand abortion access, through all three trimesters of a pregnancy, adding vague exceptions to every abortion law that make this deadly and dangerous procedure more readily available and less regulated than ever before. As a result, more innocent unborn children are dying every day in Illinois, more women are coming from other states to have their abortions, and all of the women involved are increasingly left on their own to deal with the long-term physical, emotional and psychological impact of their abortions. It is a culture of death that is not helping women at all.

The Lozier Institute recently published a Fact Sheet about third-trimester abortions. What does it say about the United States, the greatest nation on earth, that its most vulnerable citizens can be treated this way? In some cases, 22-24 week-old babies are being saved by skilled neo-natal teams in some medical centers, while other innocent unborn children, at that same age, or older, can be deliberately killed in the womb at other facilities, despite clear and convincing evidence that each child knows and feels what is occurring.

Tragic developments like this reaffirm for us that the mission of Aid for Women is more important than ever before. In Edgewater, right down Broadway Street from this new Uptown clinic, Aid for Women will continue to offer life-affirming care to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. In fact, across our eight pregnancy care centers and two maternity homes:

• We increased the number of clients we served by 24% last year;
• Women in need can now talk to registered nurses about their options 24 hours a day;
• Our compassionate staff members continue to help find real solutions to the problems our clients are facing, so they never have to consider an abortion; and
• An increasing number of old and new friends of Aid for Women are reaching out as benefactors and volunteers to get more involved in our work.

Learn more and hear from our clients here. We will continue to fight for the unborn and their mothers! Our message is spreading, and our work is expanding, in ways that truly support women and children. Please join us in praying for all women facing unplanned pregnancies. May they choose life for their very vulnerable babies.

Susan Barrett
Executive Director
Aid for Women

For more information, visit our website, email contact@aidforwomen.org or call (312) 621-1107.