HARTFORD – A pregnancy resource center in Hartford is set to be the first in the state to receive an ultrasound machine under a nationwide matching gifts program sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. A campaign spearheaded by Wethersfield’s Council 4193 has raised more than $40,000 toward the purchase and maintenance of an ultrasound machine for St. Gerard’s Center for Life at 22 Maple Ave.
Michael Klinger and Dan Haslam, council members, launched the "Saving Sacred Lives" campaign in October at the request of Dr. Theresa Krankowski, director of St. Gerard’s. Dr. Krankowski had heard of a nationwide "Ultrasound Initiative" program that was announced in January by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. Under the program, if state or local councils raise half the money needed for an ultrasound machine for a qualifying pregnancy resource center, the supreme council would fund the other half.
"Studies have shown that if women see their babies through an ultrasound, they are 80 to 90 percent more likely not to kill their own child [by having an abortion]," Mr. Klinger said.
In his "Supreme Knight’s Report" released in August, Mr. Anderson wrote that women who see an ultrasound image of their babies in the womb "hear their baby’s heartbeat, they see their baby’s head and fingers. They know that it is a child, not a ‘choice.’"
The Wethersfield council reached out to its members and to other local councils, including those in West Hartford, Newington, Manchester, Cromwell, East Haven, New Britain, Torrington, Terryville, Kensington, South Windsor and Bristol, said Mr. Klinger. He and Dr. Krankowski twice appeared on Jim Vicevich’s "Sound Off Connecticut" program on WTIC 1080 radio, which generated several thousand dollars in donations, he said. The Wethersfield council also raised money at the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference in Wallingford on Oct. 3.
The council needed to raise $20,000 in order to receive matching funds from the supreme council. By the end of October, about $7,000 had been raised. On Nov. 4, a family in North Granby presented a check for the additional $13,000, Mr. Klinger said.
The donor, who prefers to remain anonymous, told The Transcript, "The Holy Spirit is what prompted us. My wife and I prayed over it." He said he had actually already given about $1,500 to the cause through his parish, and when he realized the Knights still needed more, he gave more, making the couple’s total contribution about $14,500.
"Every day we read about the lack of respect for life," he said. "This is money we had saved. This was not surplus money. But my wife and I very much want to glorify God. We view it as his money."
The total amount needed for the ultrasound and the first year of operational costs was about $65,000, Mr. Klinger said. The machine costs about $40,000, and yearly operational costs are about $25,000, he said. He said St. Gerard’s already had about $17,000 toward the first year’s operational costs, which include insurance, plumbing and paying medical personnel required to operate the ultrasound equipment.
Dr. Krankowski said the center still needs another $8,000 to pay for those costs. She said that the high-resolution ultrasound machine will help bring women into St. Gerard’s rather than to the nearby Hartford GYN Center, which has an ultrasound machine and which also provides abortions. "We will be providing limited obstetric services for the purposes of confirmation of pregnancy only," she said.
She added, "This is going to be a powerful tool because we also have all the other support services to help women who may feel overwhelmed and think they can’t take care of a baby."
Mr. Klinger said that it would take several weeks for the supreme council to review and approve the request to match the $20,000 raised by his council. Several more weeks may pass before the ultrasound machine is installed at St. Gerard’s.
Since the matching program began in January, about 10 centers nationwide have received ultrasound machines, according to Bill O’Brien, senior coordinator of the Knights’ Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Values.
Contributions toward operating costs can be sent to St. Gerard’s Center for Life, 433 Silas Deane Highway, First Floor, Wethersfield, CT 06109. More information about the Knights’ program is available from Mr. O’Brien at (203) 752-4000 or by logging onto the Knights’ Web site, www.kofc.org.
