Sometimes, life’s best gifts come wrapped in surprises.
Erica Wright was happy with her life. She had a nine-year-old son, a career she loved, and a business she was passionate about. Having a baby was the furthest thing from her mind. But, here she was, 42 years old, and life threw her a curveball. It all started when Erica was seven or eight weeks pregnant, and realized she couldn’t keep ignoring her new reality. She admits she was uncertain about continuing the pregnancy when she looked across the street and saw the Image Clear Ultrasound mobile unit and decided to knock on the door. The staff on the unit warmly welcomed her, showed her the image of her baby on the monitor, and recommended she go to Womankind for free, comprehensive prenatal care. They assured her that Womankind was supportive and would take care of her, words she admits were exactly what she needed to hear. She left the van with photos and the confidence to face this new chapter in her life.
While Erica was not dealing with financial hardships, this Akron native, now working as a Linkage Coordinator at a Cleveland area high school, had no idea where to begin to find pregnancy resources in the Cleveland area. Because of that, and what she describes as her being in a “state of fragility” at the time, she is so grateful ICU Mobile encouraged her to contact Womankind.
From her first visit to the day she transferred, Erica felt loved and cared for by the staff and volunteers here. Believing that the way a person is greeted when they enter a facility says a lot, Erica was especially impressed by the two volunteer receptionists, Bernadette and Jeannie, who always greeted her with a friendly and familiar smile and even kept her older son Madden company while she was seeing the doctor.
Incidentally, while Erica wasn’t sure how Madden would react to no longer being an only child, her fears were soon allayed as the 4th grader couldn’t wait to tell everyone he was going to be a big brother. He saw the baby on the ultrasound monitor and counted the days until he could finally meet his little brother.
Baby Easton Jace was born on February 20, 2024, just one day past his due date, weighing a healthy 7 pounds and 7 ounces. Erica shared that the baby’s father, Emmit, who is very supportive of the family, came up with the name Easton.
Emmit’s mom subsequently did ancestry research and discovered that his grandfather five generations back was named Easton. That fact was further confirmation for Erica that everything happens as it is supposed to.
Now, this “geriatric mom,” as Erica boldly and proudly refers to herself, is happy to share her story, especially to empower pregnant women over 40 to challenge the way people think and see what a blessing it is to birth a healthy baby later in life. “Baby Easton was the gift I never knew my son and I needed!”
Erica exclaimed. Erica is grateful that Womankind was here to walk this unplanned journey with her. When asked what she would tell others in her situation, she said, “Every mom should understand that Womankind is a great place to go. They take great care of you!”
This story first appeared in our Spring 2024 newsletter.
