I am a 35-year-old mother of a blended family of seven children: Kayla (21), Clayton (16), Shelby (15), Cayleb (14), Gage (13), Zachary (8), and Grace (5). My husband, Ben, and I each had three children before we met, and together we have a daughter. We are also blessed with a beautiful granddaughter, Kannah (4), from our oldest daughter, Kayla. Though Kayla was just a teen when Kannah was born, the child has been nothing but a blessing for our family, especially Kayla. I have been a nurse for nearly eight years, having received my LPN from James Rumsey Technical Institute. I am presently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and plan to move on from there to my Master’s degree.

When I first entered the medical field as a CNA after high school, my goal was to become a midwife. I desired to help women bring their children into the world and to encourage natural childbirth. My first nursing job was at the local jail, where I worked as a floor nurse for two years. I later became the nurse administrator of that facility. Sadly, while there, I witnessed many women entering the facility who were pregnant while addicted to narcotics and involved in prostitution. I soon realized what an epidemic that was in the area. At that time I came to understand that God had a different plan for me. With God’s help, I felt a strong urgency to help women suffering from addiction. I hope this goal will become a reality one day.

My husband and I are members of Hedgesville Baptist Church, where my husband, Ben, is a deacon. We are very involved in the Gospel ministry and participate with missions to the homeless/less fortunate, rallies, and I serve as a youth leader and ladies outreach leader. My mother was involved in the Berkeley County Chapter of West Virginians For Life, so I grew up familiar and involved with the pro-life movement. I participated in all the pro-life walks and rallies with my mother and sisters, and even participated in the state oratory contest in Charleston when I was 16 years old. I have never known life apart from involvement in the pro-life movement.

The biggest challenge I see for today’s pro-life movement is how unaware young people are on right-to-life issues. Sadly, the “prochoice” mantra is all too familiar for the Gen-X and Millennials, who do not always consider the sanctity of life. Unfortunately, these youth allow others to influence and think for them. I hope to raise awareness in this generation. I want to bring the younger and older generations together, and to use whatever technology is available for the good of this cause.