I See You: Telling the ICU Mobile Story

7/29/2019 I See You: Telling the ICU Mobile Story

1/5

1

I See You:

Telling the ICU Mobile Storyby robert g. morrison

I see you. Its not just asweet game. Its not just threesimple words. Its a prooundlesson. Isnt that the frst,or at least one o the frstgames we play with our in-ants? Baby learns: Theresan I. Theres a you. And

theres a bond o love between us two.

Image Clear Ultrasound (ICU) is also a pun. Its a

wonderul pun: I see you.

Today, thanks to the wonders o modern technology,expectant mothers oten orm that indissoluble bond

with their child even beore he or she is born. In mil-lions o homes, the rst amily picture on the ridge isoten that ultrasound picture. Ultrasound technologyhas advanced to the point where mothers and, hope-ully, athers, can see their unborn child in real time.

Something within us is touched, and touched deep-ly, when we see an unborn child, our own fesh and

blood sucking a thumb, yawning, scratching an itch,even holding hands up as i in prayer.

Well, thats all illusory, we are told. The thoughtul,the pensive, the serious people persist in telling usnight and day that it is not an unborn child. Its aetus. And it only becomes a person when its wanted,

when its born.

We answer: A persons a person, no matter how small.Thats what Dr. Seusss Horton the Elephant used tosay. Millions o American children were schooled onHortons wisdom about persons, even small ones.

Small ones have been on Sylvia Slikos heart ormany years and she decided to do something about it.In 1990 she began pro-lie work and later served asexecutive director o Pregnancy Solutions & Services(PSS) in Akron, OH. This pregnancy care center wasone o 150 centers singled out or a Presidents Volun-teer Service Award in 2008.

Sylvia and her riends in Akron decided to branch

out rom the our walls o their pregnancy care center.They sought divine guidance. Sylvia describes it inher own words:

In October o 2003, ater a time o prayer, the Lord putin my heart the idea o a mobile pregnancy vehicle toshow pregnant abortion-minded women their babies.He even gave me the name: I See You (ICU).

Stepping out in aith, they retrotted one, then anumber o recreational vehicles (RVs) to serve as mo-bile ultrasound units. The ICU Mobile ministry trav-

els into the heart o Americas inner cities, headingor mall parking lots, shopping plazas, universities,impoverished communities, and even across the streetrom abortion acilities. Wherever young women inneed go, ICU Mobile will go. ICU Mobile is a wayo extending those compassionate hands o pregnancycare centers. When a young woman is about to makea decision, she needs those helping hands.

Sylvia continues,

We elt it was important to have everyone understand

what has made the mobile ministryand ICUsodierent. Its such a new concept to so many people,

yet when they hear who we are and what we want toaccomplish, it really makes sense to them and speaks tothem. I eel so blessed that God has allowed us to takeHis vision and watch it grow.

America has seen this kind o dedication beore. Ak-ron, Ohio served as a center or the UndergroundRailroad beore the Civil War. Hundreds o slavesescaped here, conducted by the courageous Harriet

Tubman and others, black and white, who knew that

God did not want His children to sweat out their livesin unrequited toil.

Akron is also the place where Alcoholics Anonymouswas ounded. This organization has given hundredso thousands o peoplein this country and else-

wherenew hope or a lie ree rom bondage.

Sylvias board chose Michael Homula Jr. to serveas the Executive Director o ICU Mobile. Michael

BC11H02


2/5

2

brought a wealth o business and management expe-rience to his role with ICU Mobile. He pitched in togive a high level o proessionalism and expertise tothe operations o this non-prot organization.

Michael comments,

ICU Mobile is the pioneer and leader o mobile

pregnancy center ministry. We want to provide a con-venient, comortable environment where every wom-an experiencing an unplanned pregnancy can see herunborn child in order to make a ully inormed, lie-afrming decision. We are also committed to helpingwomen see the love o Jesus Christ. The good news othe Gospel is shared with everyone who comes aboardan ICU Mobile.

Michaels story is dramatic, i not unique. His birthmother was raped at an oce party she attendedin 1969. Michaels lie was the result o that crimeagainst his mother. Happily, Michaels mother madean adoption plan or her child. Adopted by a lovingamily, Michael grew to know that the love o Christis sucient to mend broken hearts. The Bible sayso the Savior, a bruised reed He will not break . . .(Matt. 12:20) Michael knows about bruised reeds.

ICU Mobile oers us a vision. It is a vision o lie orour communities, or our country, or our wounded

world. And we know that without such vision thepeople perish. Michaels goal, and Sylvias, too, is tosee ICU Mobile units wherever unborn childrenslives are threatened. Wherever a young woman is be-ing enticed into letting an abortionist end her babyslie, these dedicated proessionals want to send anICU Mobile unit. They oer her encouragement andlove. They show her lie. They shower her with thehope o Christ.

A typical day on the mobile unit begins withprayer. Sylvia describes one such day.

As I waited, I prayed that God would allow us to savea baby that day. Several hours later as we stood on the

sidewalk in ront o the [abortion acility] with ourmobile on the street a ew eet away, we let womenknow that we were there to give them a second opin-ion with our ree ultrasound. One couple shouted thatthey already had three children and could not aordany more. Others just kept their eyes straight ahead asthey marched orward in a kind o hypnotic state.

Then we noticed a young woman and an older wom-an leaving the [acility] and coming toward us. The

younger woman was crying and said she would like tohave an ultrasound. We ound that the young womanwas pregnant and her mother was accompanying her

or the scheduled abortion.

Within minutes they both saw the lie o their childand grandchild on the screen. Tears continued to all,

but this time they were tears o joy. Yes, the youngwoman decided to keep her baby, and later when anICU counselor presented the gospel, they both ac-cepted Christ as their Savior.

Sylvia and Michael, their board o directors, volun-teers, and supporters believe that ICU Mobile canchange our culture. They know that when a womansees her own baby on the screen she sees her preg-nancy rom a dierent point o view. In act, whenabortion-minded women see their unborn children

via ultra-sound on board an ICU Mobile unit, 86.9%

percent choose lie. Last year alone, 553 babies weresaved aboard nine ICU Mobiles. Additionally, 43%o those who hear the gospel make rst time decisionsor Christ. That averages out to two babies and twosouls a day.

ICU Mobile is not a new type o pregnancy center.Nor is it an attempt to replaceexisting pregnancy carecenters. ICU Mobile partners with pregnancy carecenters, providing them with a proven and eective

way to extend their ministries. ICU Mobile actually

provides units to the local pregnancy care centers.The pregnancy centers, in turn, sta and operate themobiles in an eort to bring abortion-minded wom-en through their own doors. ICU Mobile currentlyhas more than twenty aliates and plans or twenty-our more units in the year ahead, including deploy-ing mobiles to Ghana and India.

ICU Mobile doesnt promote civic engagement withoce holders, doesnt engage in politics, and doesntgo into court. Instead, ICU Mobile is dedicated toproviding loving, non-judgmental help to young

women acing unwanted pregnancies.

Tom Glessner is the president o the National Insti-tute o Family and Lie Advocates (NIFLA). NIFLAprovides legal help and training or pregnancy carecenters nationwide.

Tom shares his thoughts on the ultrasound ministry:

ICU Mobile provides valuable medical servicesthrough their mobile ultrasound units. By provid-


3/5

3

ing ultrasound in this way many women vulnerableto abortion who would not have access to ultrasoundimaging will now be able to see the reality o their un-born child. Because o this many lives will be saved.

ICU Mobile is headquartered, as weve noted, in Ak-ron, but it has an ever expanding number o aliates.

One o these, in inner city Pittsburgh, provides thisaccount near the abortion acility:

It was our frst day or the ICU Mobile unit. Weprayed and planned or months. The picture showedone hand, two handsthree hands? Four hands?Twins? Yes. She was pregnant with twins who werealready at 13 weeksOur very frst day, our very frstclient. We saw God smile on us that day.

In yet another amazing incident, an ICU Mobileunit pulled up, as usual, in ront o the countys onlyabortion acility. Natasha came in with her boyriend,Nick. They had already made an appointment or anabortion. Natasha pressed or it. Nick didnt want it.

Because there were so many ahead o them inside theabortion acility, Nick and Natasha went outside to

walk around prior to their procedure.

Natasha agreed to have the ree ultrasound. As shewas having it done, Chantel and Evan knocked on theunits door. They wanted a ree ultrasound to see howar along Chantel was in her pregnancy. The abortionclinic charges more than $100 or such picturesand

rom them determines how much to charge or theabortion itsel.

Chantel and Evan looked scared. They didnt re-ally want an abortion but they elt so alone, so over-

whelmed. What other choice was there?

The counselor was nishing up with Chantel andEvan just as Nick and Natasha came out rom theirtime with the ultrasonographer. They were aglow

with happiness. And their joy reinorced Chantel andEvans eelings.

Both o these young couples had been inside thatabortion acility. They walked through that valley othe shadow o death. And through ICU Mobile, byGods grace, they could now walk in light.


4/5

4

robert g. morrisonis Senior Fellow or Policy Studies at FamilyResearch Council. He is a ormer teacher o American history at thehigh school and college levels. He served in the U.S. Departmento Education and as the Washington representative o The LutheranChurchMissouri Synod. He researched Bill Bennetts two-volumehistory o the U.S.,America: The Last Best Hope. In the course o writ-ing this pamphlet, the author viewed an ultrasound picture rom hisdaugher and son-in-law: twins!

About the Author

i see you: telling the icu mobile story

by robert g. morrison

2011 family research council

all rights reserved.

printed in the united states

,

,

, ..

order line --..

BC11H02


5/5

5

To order these resources or to see more FRC publications,

visit our website at www. frc.org or call 800-225-4008.

Washington Update Family Research Councils fagship subscription: a daily email update with

the latest pro-amily take on Washingtons hottest issues. Complimentary

Take Action Aler ts Alerts notiy you about opportunities to actively participate in Family Re-

search Council eorts to uphold pro-lie, pro-amily, and pro-reedom valuesin Washington. Complimentary

frcADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROMFAMILY RESEARCH COUNCILThank you or choosing

this resource. Our

pamphlets are designed

or grassroots activists

and concerned

citizensin other

words, people who

want to make a dierence in their amilies, in

their communities, and in their culture.

History has clearly shown the inuence that

the Values Voter can have in the political

process. FRC is committed to enabling

and motivating individuals to bring about

even more positive change in our nation

and around the world. I invite you to usethis pamphlet as a resource or educating

yoursel and others about some o the most

pressing issues o our day.

FRC has a wide range o papers and

publications. To learn more about other FRC

publications and to fnd out more about our

work, visit our website at www.rc.org or call

1-800-225-4008.

I look orward to working with you as we

bring about a society that respects lie and

protects marriage.

President

Family Research Council

Care about lie, marriage, and the amily? Join thediscussion at: acebook.com/FamilyResearchCouncil

The Best Pro-Lie Arguments orSecular Audiencesby Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Esq. BC11E01

Abortion is unlike any other issue debated today. Mil-

lions o American women have aborted a child, and the

pain, loss, and emotional need to justiy what was done,

both on the part o the mother as well as her loved

ones, is strong and deep. With emotions running high

on this issue, even the best logic may ail to persuade.

This publication contains the best arguments rom

science, the law, and womens rights to advance the pro-

lie cause against abortion.

Post Abortion SueringA Psychiatrist Looks at the Eects o Abortion

by Christopher M. Gacek BC10A01

The growing weight o scientifc studies and the voices

o women themselves tell the story o abortion as a

lie-changing, adverse experience or many. Relying

on Dr. Martha Shupings experience as a psychiatrist,

we can describe the psychological impact o abor-

tion through the lens o her clinical counseling and the

emerging scientifc literature. Christopher M. Gacek,

FRCs Senior Fellow or Regulator y Aairs, co-authored

this pamphlet.

Documents

I See You: Telling the ICU Mobile Story