A few years ago, it was common to find hard, plastic baby models at Oregon Right to Life Education Foundation booths. They were accurate for the fetal age and were inexpensive to hand out in large quantities. But they didn’t seem very much like a real baby, and this realization began our journey toward something much more lifelike. We now hand out soft baby models at the 12-week stage of development. The soft, smooth skin of these replica babies makes people want to hold them. So many people have commented how excited they are to see and share them with others.
This special representation of humanity is wrapped up in one of our precious pockets. Volunteers sew little buntings to hold the baby and a development card to help the recipient learn amazing facts. Children and adults pause when they see one of these models for the first time. At first, many of the children focus on getting their preferred pocket color. Then their interest is captured by the details of development at that age.
At the recent Portland Women’s Expo, the first visitor of the day started crying upon seeing the wrapped babies. She kept thanking me over and over for giving the baby to her. She explained that she had been taken for two abortions when she was 16 and 18 years old. She said she hadn’t really understood what was happening to her. She learned the truth later, when she delivered her son, and through subsequent therapy. Seeing the pockets reminded her of her experience and deeply touched her.
We now have precious pockets in Belgium and India (see photo). As demand increases, please consider organizing a group, volunteering to sew, or donating supplies or funds for this special project. We will use 14,000 precious pockets this summer alone! Many groups have helped with this project. We have received donations from churches, women’s groups, sewing groups, and even school groups. It was selected as a service project by an American Heritage Girls Group that collected fabric and sewed the pockets.
The pattern is very basic and requires only simple sewing skills. Some groups even part out the work, with some members cutting fabric while others sew or insert the little baby models. Don’t let the prospect of sewing deter you from this rewarding project. Every precious pocket given out touches a heart.
