You may recall several blog reflections ago in December I shared that there was a very important legal case going before the U.S. Supreme Court that involved a Pregnancy Clinic in New Jersey very similar to Next Step. The case is First Choice Women’s Resource Center vs. Platkin. Oral arguments were heard and after months of work and deliberation a verdict has finally come down and it is a win. A big one! I said I’d keep you posted and I am happy to share! 

Here is the article that the ADF, Alliance Defending Freedom, Firm has just released describing the victory and its far-reaching implications for pregnancy clinics just like YOUR local PRC – Next Step Pregnancy Services. Please read on.

https://tinyurl.com/ADFVictory

And while I’m on my soapbox and if you need another reason to celebrate ADF is not alone. Another dynamic legal firm standing by our side is The Thomas More Society, a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. This week this principled legal firm is also working diligently to defend our work.  Currently a Summary Judgment hearing in People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International & RealOptions (a PRC like Next Step) —is in the works on a lawsuit in which California seeks to prohibit pro-life pregnancy centers from sharing information about Abortion Pill Reversal (APR), a protocol that uses progesterone to counteract the effects of the first abortion pill (mifepristone). A service that Next Step Pregnancy Services has been offering to women since 2023! The state targets the First Amendment rights of Heartbeat International and RealOptions, which connect women with APR treatment after they begin a chemical abortion, change their minds, and seek to save their children’s lives. Women deserve to be informed of every option and to know that hope remains—even when a decision feels final. Below is a link to the article for the full details as well as a link to the St. Thomas More Society page.  https://tinyurl.com/TMoreSocietyPendingJudgementhttps://www.thomasmoresociety.org/ As always, Next Step does not shrink from speaking clearly about who we are. We are unapologetically pro-life and pro-family. We invite you to join us in a prayer of thanksgiving for those in the legal field who diligently work to protect pregnancy resource clinics and stand firm in the face of injustice.Thank you for your unfailing support for our work and the work of clinics like Next Step.  ***The image you see is of Next Step Baby Rose and her mom Rahad courtesy of GlimmerGlass***P.S. Save the Date! Our annual Gala will be held on Saturday September 19th at Holy Rosary in Edmonds. Invites are in the mail in July!  Interested in sponsoring the event or donating an item to our Silent Auction or Dessert Auction? Drop me a line! heather@nextstepnw.com P.P.S. If you are new to the mailing list and want to check out past blog reflections let me know or visit nssupport.org

Thank you for reading on –
I heard this quote during the talk on current Pro-Life policy given by Jamie Dangers, Director of Federal Affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (sbaprolife.org) while in attendance at the AAPLOG Conference downtown a few weeks ago and it stayed with me.
As you may recall from my previous post, AAPLOG stands for American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. A group of medical professionals who truly believe in the sanctity of life and putting their patients, born and unborn, first.  

Jamie’s talk touched on something called the “Shield Law” which, at the time, I was somewhat familiar with but had not really thought about. In researching more about it I learned that it was originally formed for the purposes of protecting journalists from being compelled to reveal their confidential sources and has been in place since 1935!
In the 1970s the Shield Laws were also used to protect rape victims from public exposure and other aspects of their privacy. 
In theory that reasoning is, well, reasonable.

Fast forward to 2023.

In the aftermath of the reversal of Roe some states decided to hijack and use “Shield Laws” for the protection of abortion providers, among others, involved in the procedure.
In effect, this created ‘safeguards’ for abortion providers to continue to give access to abortions for women who lived in states where new laws and protections against abortion were now in place. 

So states, such as Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, among others, where abortion is either completely illegal or nearly so still have to contend with their citizens obtaining the abortion pill via the mail and telehealth services and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it. 

You would not be surprised to learn that states such as California, New York, Massachusetts, and, of course, home sweet home, Washington are the ones shipping these drugs that end a developing life into those states whose residents voted against the legal murder of the unborn. 

I think what struck me the most was the blatant twisting of a law that came about in protection of victims and those who sought to expose the perpetrators of abuses and injustice.
And now, 90 years later, the “Shield Law” is a refuge for those who exploit others and cause life-altering harm. 

Going back to the quote by President George Washington, which is an exact excerpt from a letter written by him to Benedict Arnold on September 14, 1775, I am struck by the blatant disregard of one state’s leadership over another and their labor to block the consciences of those in office, and by extension and legal vote, their Constituents, to further their own ends – their ends being unfettered access to terminating the unborn with impunity. 

If you know your American history then you know who and what Benedict Arnold was. It is not lost on me at all that Washington felt the need to remind Arnold about respecting freedom of conscience.
And yet here we are…..

In Lynnwood, just outside of Seattle, offering, free of charge, early pregnancy care, compassionate guidance, and a heart in service of and for women and girls in our community. ~ Heather M Vasquez

Thank you for your unfailing advocacy of our pro-life mission. 

P.S. Save the Date!
The Next Step Gala is on Saturday September 19th! We welcome
Evie West as our Keynote. More info coming!

P.P.S. Have a green thumb?
Spring cleanup to beautify the clinic and welcome families with Spring planting is just around the corner. We’re also in search of monthly landscape and parking lot maintenance.
Contact heather@nextstepnw.com for more information.

“Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light,
so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.”

– Meister Eckhart

It was actually snowing a little this morning as I write this. Very gently and almost invisible unless seen in the slanting of the sunlight. And just the other day, for those of us who are Catholic, we began another Lenten season. Which will lead us into Spring and Easter!

I wanted to share with you about a new project Next Step has taken on and its already felt impact on our daily work and on how we speak to those reaching out.
Back before Christmas even I came across an article about how pregnancy clinics, like Next Step, may be “missing exactly who we are hoping to invite” just because those women and girls simply do not know we are here. I wondered if we fell into the category of
“well intentioned ministry but not truly actively seeking to change the culture from death into life.” 

I decided to reach out to the original poster and learn more. And boy, did I ever. The person I met is the CEO of a “pro-life marketing agency” called Life Advancement Group and they specialize in connecting abortion-minded and determined women to local pro-life pregnancy clinics, like us. We set up a call and I was very impressed with what they had to offer. 

Thus we began the arduous process of creating targeted google ads and landing pages, of learning how to use what’s called the “Life Lead App” which is a one-stop shop for communicating with women and girls searching terms on google like: Abortion near me, Abortion Lynnwood, Abortion Pill Lynnwood, and more. Because of the Google Ad words chosen we popped up, sometimes first, despite the clear disclosure stating that Next Step “Does not perform abortions.”

The first day we went “live”, we took several “calls and texts” from women and girls saying things like: “I need an abortion” and “I think I am pregnant and want the pill”, “My mom said to call Planned Parenthood to get more birth control.” and this one: “I don’t want to be pregnant. If I am, I want to abort my child. Asap.” My child…

I think out of all of us on the team I was the most shocked. And to be fair I do not spend near as much time with our clients as our nurses, and even our front desk folks, do. 
 Most, not all, of our clients had been women and girls who were vulnerable but unsure. Accepting abortion as an option but not ready to take the final step, hesitant but open to the possibility of life.

How could we have been missing all of these women and girls, scared, determined, impatient, and yes, sometimes seemingly indifferent. It really knocked me backwards a bit.

But that was last week. This week we are rocks. We are immovable from our mission of care and compassion – before and during pregnancy in these cases – no matter the circumstances. 

Out of all of the calls and texts only a few have made an appointment to come in, knowing up front we do not perform or refer for abortions nor prescribe the abortion or morning after pill.
I pray they do come to speak to our nurses. Confirm pregnancy (or not) and accept the ultrasound.
No matter the outcome they paused in their relentless pursuit of self preservation at all costs. They paused.

In all this darkness, that is the light. And we need to keep it burning. 
Please continue to pray for our team! In gratitude – Heather

P.S. Are you being called to step into  meaningful pro-life service?
Next Step is hiring for a paid, part time RN to train on early ultrasound and more. Reach out to:  heather@nextstepnw.com

P.P.S. Save the Date! The Next Step Gala is on Saturday September 19th!! Details to follow.

P.P.P.S. Not a RN but still want to be a part of the Next Step team?
Our governing board may be the right place for you! Email me! heather@nextstepnw.com

“We cannot allow the anthropology of the medical profession to slide from a sacred human one to a merely technical one
dominated by machine-like physicians.” 
~ Christopher O. Tollefsen

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the AAPLOG Conference in downtown Seattle. AAPLOG stands for the “American Association of Pro-Life AAPLOG” and the organization was founded in April 1973.
“The reason AAPLOG exists is to encourage and equip its members and other concerned medical practitioners to provide an evidence-based rationale for defending the lives of both the pregnant mother and her pre-born child.”   (https://aaplog.org/)

The weekend was transformative, for me, as a non-medical person. Such a large gathering of intelligence, expertise, and education all united under one incredible creed.That every human life is sacred- from conception to natural end – and that no one has the right to intentionally end life.
There was such an air of purpose and “Courage is contagious,” as political philosopher and legal scholar Mr. Robert P. George, a guest speaker, stated.

Between the many young medical students in their 2nd and 3rd year rotations telling me about their plans and hopes to practice ethical and sacred medicine and the many speaking topics on subjects like “A Review of the latest Embryonic Biotechnologies” to “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Maternal Mortality” to “A Pro-Life Policy Update” from SBAPro-Life and “Conscience under Pressure: Legal Protections for Pro-Life Medical Professionals”- it was truly awe-inspiring and incredibly encouraging. 

I too felt courageous. And humbled to be counted among such an incredible group of deeply committed individuals.

Over the next few weeks or so I will share more about the experience but for now know that the future of medicine and its landscape is shifting.
The truth about abortion and its effects on the physical, mental, social, moral, and spiritual health of all of us is rapidly becoming too colossal to ignore. 

Please continue to keep Next Step in your prayers as we work, in our own small way, in our own small medical clinic, on changing the culture from death into life.  ~ Heather M Vasquez

P.S. Save the Date!
The Next Step Gala is on Saturday September 19th! 

P.P.S.
We are Hiring! Next Step Pregnancy Services is seeking a compassionate, mission-driven part-time Registered Nurse for our clinic. email heather@nextstepnw.com for more info

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” – Proverbs 24:11

---

What is an abortion abolitionist? 

The term abortion abolitionist is not a new one. In fact, the movement dates back to the sixties and seventies. But to be honest, up until very recently, I had not heard the expression. 

Simply put –  Abortion Abolitionists believe that “the only truly pro-life position is to pass laws that recognize the crime of abortion is murder and that all who participate in abortion, including the mother, should face the criminal penalty for murder,” (https://www.texasallianceforlife.org/the-abolitionists-are-wrong)

To put that another way; abortion is the intentional murder of a living human being, in the womb, and all those who have a hand in that act, the provider, the nurses, the mother, bear guilt for the crime and therefore should be criminally punished. 

So what does Next Step believe? 

No one is immune to the consequences of abortion. I am a firm believer that moral neutrality is not an option.
You are either on the side of truth….or not. 

Do we believe that abortion is the intentional killing of
an innocent human being?
Yes. 

Do we believe the act of abortion is morally reprehensible
and should not be allowed? 
Yes. 

Do we believe that a mother who knowingly permits an abortion to be performed on her unborn child should be punished? 

Here is where lines that are drawn begin to distort. 

Every week our nurses see women who are pregnant. Some, I’ll say most, are happy to parent, planned or not. Some are not happy. They are scared, overwhelmed, confused, and more. They aren’t sure they want to parent but more than that they are not sure they can.
For a myriad of reasons. They are young, still in school, unmarried, perhaps not employed or if employed they have no health insurance, they have other children and can barely meet their needs, they are not in a safe relationship with the father of the baby
or not in a relationship at all! 

They may decide that abortion is their only option. There is nothing else and no one else to “Rescue them from being led away to death”.

Pregnancy Help Clinics like your local one – Next Step Pregnancy Services – are in a unique position to see the impact on women contemplating abortion and possibly, sadly,  choosing abortion.

Our nurses are in the thick of it. Deep in the reeds and heart of these stories. Sowing what might yet live. 

So, in their indecision they find Next Step Pregnancy Services.
Where are our nurses become a safe harbor for them. To be heard. To be encouraged. To be calmed. To be told the truth. 

So what does Next Step believe?
That we are called to love those who seek support and
let mercy guide our words. 

“Compassion, not punishment, is the path that leads women in unplanned pregnancies to healing, restoration, and life.”(pregnancyhelpnews.com, Heartbeat International, L. Bourne, 11/06/2025)

Pregnancy help clinics like Next Step, are where “that path begins, offering hope in place of fear, support in place of shame,
and life in place of death.”

Thank you for continuing to stand with us. ~ Heather M Vasquez
P.S. Save the Date! Our annual Gala is on Saturday September 19th, 2026!

“Get me! I’m givin’ out wings!” – Nick the bartender, It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946

It would not be Christmas, at least in my book, without watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. So we did, of course, on the big screen too – which was beautiful.  As I left the theatre I pondered a scene, a very early one, in fact, within the first five minutes of the film. I’ve seen this movie more times than I can count but for some reason this scene jumped out. The scene opens with “Joseph”, a senior angel, speaking with a fellow, unnamed angel, about whose turn it is to be sent to earth to answer prayers. It seems that the angel “at bat” is Clarence Oddbody, who the unnamed angel refers to as having the “IQ of a rabbit”, to which Joseph, the senior angel, replied, “Yes, but he’s got the faith of a child. Simple.”

The angel Clarence, is sent for. Joseph explains that there are a lot of people on earth praying for a man named George Bailey. “At exactly 10:45pm earth time that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God’s greatest gift.” – says Joseph, to which Clarence, without hesitation,  replies, “Oh dear dear, his life!”

Clarence knew immediately what God’s greatest gift was and is. Life! 

I know this is most likely not news to any of you reading this but it is in fact a concept in question for some. In post-World War II the view of life was without question – precious. And today, as we are at the cusp of a new year once again, let’s be ever faithful to this certainty, as Clarence was, that life is God’s greatest gift. Next Step will enter into this new year defending those most vulnerable and celebrating new and changed lives. Thank you for helping us to prosper in 2025 and for keeping watch over Next Step and all those we will serve in the coming year.

Happy New Year ~ Heather Vasquez

P.S. Several years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Karolyn Grimes, who at the age of 6, played George Bailey’s youngest daughter Zuzu in the film. She had this to say about my favorite actor, Mr. Jimmy Stewart,  “He really was tall, six feet four inches tall. And he was so very kind.”
Then she autographed our Christmas ornament and sent us on our way with a hug.

 “If you live today you breathe in nihilism. In or out of the Church, it’s the gas you breathe.” ~ Flannery O’Connor, August 28, 1955

“Nihilism; a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so bad as to make destruction desirable for its own sake independent of any constructive program or possibility.” ~ Merriam-webster.com

So the question I pose today is: Is nihilistic motherhood the new norm? In a word, no. At least for me, and, I believe many of you reading this, because if you are on my mailing list you most likely agree that motherhood is love, sacrifice, joy, exhaustion, heartache, and delight all mixed into a sacred ball. 

I recently saw an advertisement for a movie called “Die My Love”, released earlier this month and it got me curious. The premise follows a young woman who struggles with her mental state after moving into a rural home with her partner and giving birth to their baby. While he works outside the home, seemingly oblivious to her rapid downward spiral, she rips wallpaper from the walls with her bare hands, licks a window pane, pours soap on the floor,  paces, crawls, throws things, screams and generally unravels. Very obviously signs of postpartum depression. Which is one of the film’s themes. It is a heartbreaking portrayal of motherhood. Fictional? Yes. Realistic? Somewhat. Concerning? Most certainly. Grace’s fate is rather ambiguous and I won’t spoil the ending for you. 

It got me recalling some other recent films that also explored the “underbelly” of motherhood and boy was it bleak. 

“Nightbitch” (pardon my language) a 2021 novel, made into film, centers around “the struggle for a woman to retain her identity as an artist after becoming a stay-at-home mother.” (sheknows.com, A. Kelly, 11/7/25) So overwhelmed with exhaustion, isolation, and the “loss of self”, the protagonist, an unnamed woman referred to by her husband as “see film title”, begins to physically transform into a dog as a response to her growing frustrations. Her descent into rage is depicted, fantasy-like, by extreme acts of violence towards herself and the neighborhood animals. Ok then.

And finally, a film called, “If I had legs I’d kick you,” released this year, centers around another mother, with another young child, married but whose partner is “mostly” working, and in this case, the mother also has a career, and the slow cycle into disorder, isolation, and ultimately a mental breakdown. 

Couple thoughts, yes, it’s Hollywood and Hollywood is known for its seeming distaste for motherhood, but that’s not my point. 

Postpartum depression is very real. According to postpartumdepression.org; PPD affects 1 in 5 women and a staggering 50% of women struggling with PPD either do not or cannot seek care. Today’s average PCP is not properly equipped to diagnose and help treat this form of mental and emotional depression. 

Places like Next Step Pregnancy Services are working towards being able to offer more robust resources and support for this heartbreaking disorder but its not easy. There just is not a lot out there!

The behaviors portrayed in the films I mentioned tend to be on the more extreme side but not wholly without some truth.

My other and main point I want to impart however is this: Yes motherhood is hard. It is messy and draining. And as a mother you do in fact, have to, “die to self”. It means, for your child, you consciously set aside your own desires, choices, and hopes – for a time. But the immeasurable gifts you can experience and accept are without a doubt worth it. And this is not just me, or just a sentiment, this is the truth. The truth that Hollywood and the “mainstream media” love to ignore.

“These postpartum thrillers are telling us that to become a mother in a system that doesn’t favor you is to lose control over your life as you once knew it.” (sheknows.com, A. Kelly, 11/7/25)

So to my question at the beginning on nihilism – that “conditions” (motherhood) are so bad as to make “destruction” (rage, contempt, carelessness, distraction) desirable for its “own sake” (good for the woman) independent of any constructive program or “possibility” (sacred connection with your child).”

Is that kind of futility how a lot of the current generation sees motherhood? What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to hear! 

Next Step celebrates motherhood – messiness and all. And will continue to bolster women choosing life with our whole hearts. 

P.S. Lest we forget – paternal PPD is also real, affecting approximately 10% of new fathers. Let’s lift them up in prayer as well. Fathers matter! 

~ Edmund Pellegrino

I recently read an article titled “Fewer medical students trained for abortion procedures” (By Sarah Varney, KFF Health News/March 22, 2022, Kaiser Health News). I can’t even recall how I came across it but it was written just after the overturning of Roe in 2022.  The basic premise was that because of the new (in 2022) abortion restrictions in several states the medical discipline and residency programs who previously offered standardized teaching on abortion “care” were not necessarily continuing to require training of said procedure. 

I decided to dig a little more on this especially in relation to our state, Washington, because well, we are not a state that restricts abortion. I was disappointed, though not wholly surprised, to find that the University of Washington, “Due to the narrowing access to abortion training in other states”, has made the decision to “only admit residents who are committed to providing abortion care”.  That way, this ensures all available spots contribute to training physicians who want to learn and perform abortions in Washington state. And there is no longer an ‘opt out’ box to check. 

“If we live in a state where abortion care is legal, we need to recruit medical students into our program that want to provide abortion care,” said Dr. Alyssa Stephenson-Famy, an associate professor of maternal-fetal medicine at UW. “We should not waste our spots on people not willing to provide abortion.”

“Medicine is a moral enterprise. All are called to lead a moral life and to achieve the holiness of the saints. This obviously means that ethics is important in all professions and walks of life. Yet, we rightly hold physicians and other health care workers to higher standards of professional ethics.” (The Moral Mind, Joseph Meaney,https://www.ncbcenter.org/messages-from-presidents/moralententerprize-3y2rn)

We correctly think of our medical caregivers as engaged in the healing professions. That is why it is a sick perversion of medicine when pressure groups or governments seek to force doctors to become killers. Requiring them (medical students)  to become executioners by performing abortions as part of their training or professional duties is something beyond the pale. Saving “spots” for those willing to engage in murder and refusing those seeking to train in the profession of healing from their calling because they, gasp!stubbornly refuse to learn how to “murder their patients” is appalling. 

Well Next Step is here and here we will remain – our medical staff and volunteers
– stubbornly and wholeheartedly practicing medicine that first, does no harm. 

Pax Tibi Heather Vasquez

P.S. Check out our support site nssupport.org for all things Next Step!

He asked and you all answered. In every way.

On behalf of all of us here at Next Step Pregnancy Services – Thank you! You made this year’s event our most successful in our entire 27 year history! Your support far surpassed anything we could have hoped for. From the bottom of our hearts – thank you.

We promise to continue to provide exceptional care for women, babies, and families. And we pledge to remain a courageous voice for the unborn. Here we are Lord. Send us!

Did you see the beautiful picture of Ari and her baby girl? She and her husband Austin welcomed little Nina earlier this year. We got to meet Nina while she was still in mommy’s womb. 

Earlier this month we had another client come to see our nurse. This client was17 years old and we’ll call her Ana. She came with her mother though mom waited outside at the start. Ana’s boyfriend unfortunately did not accompany her to the appointment. After the initial scan the nurse noted she was measuring 7 weeks and 3 days. Ana stated she had been on birth control pills but “may have skipped some.” Ana’s opening comments were very direct. She stated she wanted an abortion. She’s too young and cannot support a baby. She lacked the uncertainty that most of our clients tend to exhibit

Notably she said her boyfriend does not want her to abort. He is “religious”. He does not want her to have an abortion if “it already has hands and feet and stuff.”
Our nurse patiently went over fetal development and showed her that, in fact, her baby has everything he or she needs to grow into a full human being.
All he or she needs? Time.
Ana and our nurse discussed how an abortion would not just make things “go away” and that she would have to deal with her decision in some capacity. She shared details with Ana of other options, encouragements, and the abundance of resources at her disposal.  After the ultrasound Ana just continued to nod and say “yes”. Our nurse wondered if anything was getting through or was Ana just waiting to make her escape?

This leads me to my ask. What we need more than anything else right now is prayers. Prayers for our nurses who have the massive job of often literally fighting for the life of a child. Talking and convincing and encouraging and guiding – and all the while questioning themselves. Questioning their methods. Speculating on whether or not anything they did or said made a life altering impact or were their words no where near enough. As far as Ana. We don’t know. And most likely will not know. And our nurse has to just keep going. Their many doubts notwithstanding. In the end true faith in Him is all we really have. 

On Saturday September 20th our nurses, Barb, Carrie, and Elizabeth, will be in attendance at our annual Gala dinner. It is a night of celebration, raising funds, and coming together to serve Next Step as Next Step time and time again serves those in need, mother and child, at their most vulnerable. 

We need your support. In every capacity you are able. Prayers. Funds. Supplies. Prayers again. Our nurses need your backing. 

Purchase your tickets here:https://nssupport.org/gala2025/
Early Bird Pricing available until this Friday August 15th.

If you cannot attend but want to ensure our nurses are cared for so they can continue to provide you can do so here and choose Gala Donation
https://nssupport.org/donate/
 

Thank you for you for not only considering support but
turning hope into action.

He knows our every path. He knew it before we even came into being. Our value has never up for debate  ~ for Him. The circumstances of our existence should never have been an argument for our claim to live.  

This brings me to the topic of the unfortunate circumstance of rape. A subject which this year’s Next Step Gala keynote speaker, Rebecca Kiessling, is intimately familiar with. I invite you to watch a very short clip of an interview Rebecca had with Lila Rose, President of Live Action, a global Pro-Life Advocacy Group. 

https://tinyurl.com/liveactionclip

The context of the 33 second clip is Rebecca answering a question put to her by Lila about when she understood the full story of her conception and birth. Conceived through rape, but an abortion ban without exceptions spared her life. It’s a powerful few seconds and I encourage you to find out more about this remarkable woman.
And a beautiful way to do that is to join us at our Gala this year where Rebecca will be sharing her haunting and inspiring story. 

The Gala this year will be on Saturday September 20th at Holy Rosary in Edmonds. Doors open at 5:30pm for a silent auction, drinks, appetizers, our signature NSPS Spritzer, a catered dinner, music, uplifting stories and of course – Rebecca’s stirring share. 

You can register and purchase tickets for this event, choose dinner, and tablemates by clicking the link below. Early Bird tickets until August 15th!

nssupport.org/gala2025

Gala 2025

I look forward to breaking bread with you and celebrating
God’s greatest gift – Life!
~ Heather Vasquez

“That we are all of the same intrinsic worth despite our variability — is a hell of an idea.” ~ Dr. Jordan Peterson

On Tuesday July 1st Senate Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” budget measure, including a provision to defund Planned Parenthood for a year, which pro-life advocates are lauding as a “major step” toward permanently defunding the abortion giant.” (Catholic News Agency Kate Quinones,07/01/2025)

I was, in fact, asked by a few sources what we [Next Step] thought about the bill in regards to the portion about Planned Parenthood.

Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International, had this to say. “This bill is not about restricting care; it’s about restoring true care. It takes Big Abortion’s heavy thumb off the scales and puts taxpayer dollars to work in places that supports both mother and child. And it’s a call to action for every community to step up, to come alongside, and to ensure that no woman ever feels that abortion is her only option.”

I’d say that is what Next Step thinks about the bill that will remove our tax dollars from Planned Parenthood.

“Pregnancy help is built on compassion, not commerce.”

Our mission is to offer free compassionate care and material goods to women and families before, during, and after pregnancy no matter the circumstances. No matter the circumstances bears repeating.

According to WhiteHouse.gov the bill does not cut Medicaid for those who legitimately rely on it (which would include many of our current clients). The bill does however “eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.” I am no expert on this but I do know that the care we offer at Next Step Pregnancy Services is essential. And will become more so in the months ahead following this bill, though it still has to go back to the House for a final round of voting. 

Kristin Hawkins, President pf Students for Life, called this bill a “small but important victory”, noting that it “cuts an estimated $500 million from Planned Parenthood and abortion vendors,”.

This leads me to say once again – we offer care no matter the circumstances. Many people who may previously have utilized Planned Parenthood for “care” may be seeking other avenues. And that, my friends, is where we come in. 

Next Step Pregnancy Services, an unapologetically Pro-Life accredited clinic serving thousands of women and families between Seattle and Everett, is in a pivotal position to fill in the gap and be a place of welcome, compassion, and truth. 

The free services we offer – early diagnostic OB ultrasounds, pregnancy testing, STI testing and treatment, abortion pill REVERSAL, reproductive loss grief care, material goods, and soon, cycle charting support – are all essential services, backed by our life-affirming mission.
We stand ready as ever to defend, protect, and celebrate life – no matter the circumstances.

Next Step Pregnancy Services is 100% donor reliant. To be ready for what I know will be a continued rise in women and families coming to us I am asking for your support, your prayers, and your faith. Faith in our small but mighty clinic to continue to act with grace and empathy through service. 

For more on how you can support Next Step’s efforts please visit nssupport.org
Also – please make plans to join us for our annual Gala and Silent Auction Saturday September 20th at the Pastoral Center at Holy Rosary Edmonds. Invitations will be mailed out on July 15th! Be on the look out!

“God chooses ordinary men for fatherhood to accomplish his extraordinary plan.”
~ G.K. Chesterton

As we came upon another Father’s Day I kicked around ideas on what to talk about. My own father (awesome guy that he is), the lack of a father my daughters have in their young lives, the significance of fathers. What?

Then I realized what had been weighing on my heart were the fathers of aborted children. Fathers who, though required to take part in creating life, were thus shunted out of the story if the mother decided she did not, in fact, want the natural result of their union. 

This reminded me of something I’d seen years ago and then more recently on a post by Lila Rose on X. In season 6 of the HBO television series, Girls, created in 2012, there is a scene that really, really, struck a chord with me.
The series itself was not always, in fact not usually at all, a very moral program (which begs the question why did I watch it but I’ll say this – we are all human!)  and a lot of its characters, though complex at times, showed themselves to be less than principled individuals. 

The series centered around a group of ‘friends’, guys and girls, in their mid-late twenties and the various life changes they faced. 

There was however one character that I did appreciate. His name was Adam and he was played  by, well, Adam. Adam Driver. Who was a bit of an unknown at the time. His portrayal of ‘Adam’ was sarcastic, goofy, and passionate. Imperfect. And vulnerable. 

So back to season 6, episode 8 titled “What Will We Do This Time About Adam?”. 

Long story short, the young woman Adam is dating at the time, Mimi, another series regular, informs Adam that she cannot “go for a run” because she “had an abortion yesterday.” She goes on to nonchalantly explain that she can’t “take a bath or have intercourse”  for “about a week”. Adam, after a pause of obvious confusion, finally realizes what Mimi has said. His first question, sadly, is, “Was it mine?” to which she answers, “Of course.”
The fact that these are two unmarried individuals engaging in casual enough sex to require that clarification is sad enough. 

At this point Adam physically distances himself from Mimi, obvious pain all over his face. She then states rather indifferently that she is trying to “be more open with her boyfriends.” which is why she told him about the abortion rather than keeping it to herself.  He asks her “How many abortions have you had?” to which she answers, “I’m not going to share that with you because it is private. I’m not gonna ask you how many girls you’ve gotten pregnant.”
To which Adam replies, “None. It’s not private. I’ve gotten no girls pregnant. Until you. Now.”

Adam angrily knocks a bunch of stuff off a nearby table. His pain at hearing such news is clearly etched on his face. He continues to desperately question her about the procedure. Who did it? Who did she go with? Was it a boy or a girl? To which Mimi answers in a very offhanded, almost amused, manner.
He asks, “Isn’t this a decision people typically make together?” by which she asks a question of her own, “So you wanted a baby?” “Maybe.” he says. “People have done crazier things!” Mimi goes onto expound on all the reasons it would not have worked. No money. No place to raise “it”. “We barely know each other.” and on and on. 

His extreme anguish is palpable. The scene ends. Driver’s acting was spot on I have to say. 

I think what stood out to me so much was the evident grief Adam shows upon learning his girlfriend has aborted his child without any say so or knowledge on his part. He looks, speaks, and radiates devastation. 

How many men have experienced this? How many men have had the “rug yanked out from under them” so to speak? If you think about it, for every child that is aborted, there is a father who has lost his child. Granted there are some men that are the instigators of such an act. Who pressure and coerce. Who abandon. 

But I’d wager there are a fair number of men who, like Adam, are blindsided by such vitriol. And staggered by such indifference. And paralyzed by such helplessness. 

For some context, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a Pennsylvania statute requiring a woman to inform the biological father of a planned abortion. This created the “undue burden” prong of the key judgment in Casey. Paternal notification was unconstitutional if it placed an undue burden on the woman seeking an abortion

Then, in June of 2022 when Roe was overturned, Dobbs did not explicitly address paternal rights or the father’s role in abortion decisions. In 2025, in WA state, as well as every other state where abortion is still legal, an abortion can be obtained for any reason and at any age (of the mother) and the mother is not legally required to let anyone know, even the father of the child.  Currently the father has zero rights when it comes to the termination of his child. 

That is another aspect of the devastation that abortion causes. 

Some men. No, scratch that, most men, do not want this. It goes against every masculine instinct. “The truth is, the world doesn’t hate masculinity. It hates men who don’t bow.” (@turnedhousewife). 
Men who show pain and suffering . Men who question and support. Men who stand beside and not behind women. 

“Real masculinity is not oppression. It’s provision. It’s protection. It’s restraint. It’s the man who goes without so his family doesn’t have to. It’s the man who stands in front when danger comes.” (@turnedhousewife, X, 05/10/2025)

You can and I encourage you to watch the video clip on X I refer to from the series. That, Adam’s anguish, is what abortion does to men. https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1929922920018784603

On this Father’s Day I say thank you, to my pop, Rich Buyce, and all the fathers, and grandfathers, out there. And to those who were robbed of fatherhood – know that we see you. We pray for you. And stand with you.  ~ Heather Vasquez


Insert Gala Plug – Saturday September 20th, Edmonds.
Be there or be square! 

A “woman by her very nature is maternal – for every woman, whether married or unmarried, is called upon to be a biological, psychological, or spiritual mother – she knows intuitively that to give, to nurture, to care for others, to suffer with and for them – for maternity implies suffering – is infinitely more valuable in God’s sight than to conquer nations and fly to the moon.” 

~ Alice Von Hildebrand

During an episode of her podcast, “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson” former First Lady Michelle Obama stated, “Women’s reproductive health is about our life. It’s about this whole complicated reproductive system that the least of what it does is produce life.”

Yes, you read that correctly.

A  woman’s unique ability to grow a human life inside her body is “the least of” what the reproductive system is for.

Now I can proceed to expound on all the ways this “complicated reproductive system” was created by God for the express purpose of procreation. That for us, as women, it is a gift to be granted the honor of being ‘co-creators’ with God 

In the Encyclical letter titled “The Humanae Vitae” by Paul VI he states that the ‘sexual act’ must in all ways “retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life (Humanae Vitae 11). And that the reason is that the “fundamental nature of the marriage act, while uniting husband and wife in the closest intimacy, also renders them capable of generating new life.” (Humanae Vitae 12)

Or I can go another direction for those with a leaning more toward simple biology. 

According to the National Institute of Health “The female reproductive system comprises internal and external organs that facilitate menstruation and procreation. This organ system is responsible for producing gametes (termed eggs or ova), regulating sex hormones, and maintaining fertilized eggs as they develop into mature fetuses ready for delivery.”  (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537132/)

So whether you wax philosophical, analytical, contemplative, or theological I think we can all agree that, in fact, the miracle of creating and sustaining new life is the “most”, if not all, of what a woman’s reproductive system does. 

 I sometimes wonder, in this age of the erasing of femininity and the scorning and avoidance of a woman’s natural cycle, if supporters of choice (and Mrs. Obama) despise their own sex. 

“A feminist is someone who loathes being a woman and who dislikes the chief feminine characteristics.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton

I for one am most fortunate and content to be a woman and a mother. And humbled to be counted among those who possess  XX chromosomes.

The woman’s soul is fashioned as a shelter in which other souls
may unfold. – Edith Stein

Wow. That is a powerful statement and a strong testament to the gift God has conferred upon women. The gift of motherhood is unlike any other. He allowed us to be His co-creators in life! 

How fundamental is the role of a mother in not only the life and character of her children but in the family unit as a whole. 

When we proclaim our championship of the unborn we need not forget his mother and her singular uniqueness and grace. God chose her to be a vessel for life. That’s no small thing. 

This leads me to a brief comment on a Bill in Texas that has, as of April 22nd, been withdrawn from Texas’ current legislative session. You can read about HB 2197 Here

Essentially the bill was about criminalizing women who want to abort their children with the death penalty as a possible repercussion. (!!) To be honest I am not certain where I stand on this. Abortion is a crime against humanity and murder, no question. And yet…

But given what I see each day I do have in inkling of where my heart lies. I do know that here at Next Step we have many women seeking information about all options. It is very rare that we see a woman who is determined to abort. Not unheard of but not common.

Our nurses have had over 250 medical appointments this year so far and of those 105 were ultrasounds. There were 123 pregnancy tests performed this year so far with 104 of those being positive. And of those pregnancies 24 of them were determined as “Abortion Vulnerable” which simply put means that they are not decided on their plan for the pregnancy yet. Maybe they are unmarried. Maybe they are alone. Maybe its lack of finances. Maybe they are in school. Maybe they are very young. Maybe they are being pressured. Maybe they are simply afraid and uncertain. The reasons for their hesitancy go on. 

But I do know this – women with unplanned pregnancies undecided about abortion deserve information about compassionate alternatives offered at hundreds of pregnancy centers (like Next Step), maternity homes, adoption centers, and church-based ministries. Not the threat of prison time and more. That, in fact, may keep them from seeking any help for themselves and their unborn child. 

I do not know the answers on this but I do believe that it says in Proverbs 38:8 “Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable”.

I believe that relates to those facing an unplanned pregnancy who are insecure and are the very vulnerable people we serve. We are called to be compassionate, not called to cast stones. 

Make motherhood great again!

I read the following by @turnedwife on X about motherhood and believe, not that it goes without saying, but that it needs to and should be said. 

“In every civilization, the status of mothers determines the status of children. When motherhood is honored, children are seen as blessings, worthy of care, protection, and sacrifice. 

When motherhood is degraded, children inevitably become burdens, trophies, or commodities. Modern culture’s contempt for motherhood, portraying it as a waste of potential, a life half-lived – has not liberated women. It has dehumanized the next generation. Abortion, broken families, surrogate markets, and declining birth rates are not isolated phenomena. 

They are the inevitable fruit of a society that scoffs at the sacredness of mothers. To honor mothers is to defend the future. To dishonor them is to invite civilizational death.”

I want to leave you with this on this Mother’s Day weekend, “labor may render every woman a novice but pregnancy renders every woman a child.” (The Frozen River, Ariel Lawhon, page 303).

Have a blessed Mother’s Day to all mothers, grandmothers, moms-to-be, adoptive and foster mothers, and those who are loved and called, “mom”. 
Especially to my own mommy – Patricia.
Love you. ~ Heather M Vasquez

“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts.”― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

The desire to suppress ovulation because it is believed to hinder potential and the ability to do so equals sovereignty over one’s body is nothing short of a lie. But it’s a lie that many young women believe. In fact 25% of women aged 15-29 use some form of birth control. When I researched some reasons for this I found a very similar theme throughout. Aside from pregnancy prevention and relief from period pain and irregularity the common thread was jurisdiction over readiness to start a family and the desire to be unencumbered. 

To be free to enjoy the act while being free of any potential consequences. Command over your future and your body. I need to add that, for some, the pain and stress that accompany a cycle is very real – but how about we address the underlying cause rather than throw a pill at it?

But does open access to birth control really correspond to freedom? Or is it simply an illusion? 

I recently found and started following a person on X that, in my estimation, has a brilliant grasp on the truths of women, feminism, and motherhood. I try not to spend much time ‘scrolling’ but wow, I could not get enough of this person’s words. They just brought so much clarity to so much of what I believe and what I see each day at Next Step Pregnancy Services. 

She’s called “The Feminist Turned Housewife” and can be found under @turnedwife

This was something I found recently and it really sparked my interest because of our foray into FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management). I am more than halfway through the course and preparing for the exam to become a Certified FEMM instructor. The experience has been many things. Eye-opening, challenging and impressive. 

Especially as a mother to two daughters the things I have learned about ovulation, about hormones, about ordo amoris – Latin for “order of love” or “rightly ordered loves” – and so much more! About the perfect structure of the female body and the precise and beautiful system He created to bring about new life. Not something to be suppressed, avoided, and dreaded. 

Here is what @turnedwife said about birth control and her words could not have been more fitting. 

Before birth control, women had more power. Modern culture calls it “liberation,” but the truth is more complicated. Birth control didn’t free women. It weakened their leverage. The irony? Before reliable contraception, women controlled access to sex by controlling the terms:

– Courtship

– Commitment

– Marriage

– Family

Men had to prove themselves worthy, financially, morally, socially, before being granted access. Women had bargaining power. The introduction of easy contraception changed everything. Now, sex could happen without marriage. Without promises. Without investment. And when sex became cheap, women became cheapened. Their primary social power, over reproduction, over family – collapsed. Look at the data:

– Marriage rates fell.

– Divorce rates skyrocketed.

– Out-of-wedlock births exploded.

– Men’s incentives to commit plummeted.

Why commit when intimacy became freely available, no strings attached? It’s no accident that “hookup culture” emerged alongside mass birth control use. The “freedom” promised wasn’t freedom to build something lasting. It was freedom to be used, and discarded. And women paid the highest price. Women were sold a lie: That they could live like men without consequences. But biologically, socially, emotionally – women are not men. And trying to live as if they are has only made them lonelier, more anxious, and more heartbroken. The irony?

Birth control didn’t “level the playing field.” It made the field brutal. It turned natural protectors into casual users. It turned natural nurturers into detached competitors. And it left everyone more miserable. If you want to empower women again, you don’t start by handing out more pills.

You start by rebuilding the structures – marriage, family, modesty, loyalty – that once gave women true dignity and leverage. That is real empowerment.

Our daughters deserve more. And above all they deserve to be honored, cherished, and celebrated for the beauty, resilience, and gifts they bring. That is and will always be something we believe and offer to the women and girls that visit us here at Next Step Pregnancy Services.

In Christ, Heather M Vasquez

P.S. Yes I am taking this quick opportunity to let you know that it’s that time again! Save the Dates will be in the mail soon for our annual celebration which will be held on Saturday September 20th at Holy Rosary in Edmonds. I truly hope you can join us. 

I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes they even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.”

Beth Clark

Dame Laura Knight – The Flower, 1912.