SPOTLIGHT: Waterleaf Women’s Center

Written by Jenna Smith

In this episode of Illinois Family Spotlight, we’re highlighting the work of the Waterleaf Women’s Center, located directly across the street from the mega Planned Parenthood Center in Aurora, Illinois. The contrast between the two organizations could not possibly be starker. During the 2022 Fall campaign of 40 Days For Life, IFI’s Monte Larrick conversed with Waterleaf’s director, Julie Garafalo, about the vital impact the organization is having on the community.

Waterleaf is slightly different than your average women’s center in that they provide professional and medical help. An especially important service Waterleaf offers is early pregnancy screenings. That screening includes a medical grade pregnancy test and ultrasound, which helps the patient determine whether she is truly pregnant, and if so, how far along and how healthy the baby is. This gives the mother the facts she needs to make a fully informed decision.

Garafalo is passionate about ensuring women are wholly equipped with the truth about what they’re carrying in their womb and what abortion truly does.

“When women are in this state (of crisis pregnancy), it is highly emotional, and to have people not telling them the truth or trying to tell them their only option and the only way they can succeed in the world and the only way they can truly be a woman is to abort this unplanned, unwanted pregnancy is a bombardment on them. They are confused.”

Find out more about Waterleaf through listening to this week’s Spotlight episode, and through their site. Please share this article and podcast with your friends!