(June 23, 2010 – Fairfax, VA) Tepeyac Family Center, the pro-life and pro-family OB/GYN facility in Fairfax, VA, unveiled a brand new 3D/4D ultrasound June 21 at an “ultrasound blessing and open house” before a small gathering of friends and supporters. The ultrasound, generously donated by the Knights of Columbus, will enable Tepeyac’s five physicians to show high resolution 3D/4D images of unborn children to expectant mothers.
The ultrasound was donated as part of the Ultrasound Initiative, a relatively new program conceived by the Knights of Columbus under their Culture of Life Fund. According to the Knights website, the initiative seeks to “provide medically certified pro-life pregnancy centers with the modern technology to monitor the health of babies "in utero", and to allow mothers to visually experience their development.” The cost of the ultrasound was split 50/50 between the Supreme Knights and the State Knights and was the first ultrasound donated in the State of Virginia.
Since Tepeyac is technically more than a pregnancy center, an arrangement was made with the blessing of the Knights. AAA Women for Choice in Manassas, VA accepted and then donated the ultrasound to Tepeyac Family Center. This arrangement allows the ultrasound to serve not just one local pregnancy center but more than thirteen pregnancy centers located in and around the Washington, DC-metro area. In 2009, Tepeyac Family Center provided more than $352,000 in charitable healthcare and delivered 216 babies to mothers in financial distress, many of them referred by the crisis pregnancy centers.
Fourth degree Knight Fr. David Whitestone, pastor of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, performed the blessing and likened Christ’s true presence in the tabernacle of his parish church to Christ’s spiritual presence in the caring hands of the Tepeyac doctors and staff. Dr. Marie Anderson, Tepeyac’s Medical Director, became emotional when speaking of how the ultrasound will bring abortion-minded women a real image of the face of their child.
"Health is based on the relationships found in community,” stated Tepeyac’s Founder, Dr. John Bruchalski, “and this ultrasound is a tool to build a loving relationship between mother and child where abortion becomes unthinkable.” Dr. Bruchalski emphatically stated that everyone present was now “part of the Tepeyac family” and thanked everyone, in particular the Knights, for their spiritual and financial support.
Knights present at the blessing included Vice President for Communications Patrick Korten, State Deputy Pat O’Donnell, State Secretary Bill McCarthy, State Treasurer Ron Gorman, State Advocate Tommy Harger, State Warden Tony Fortunato, Immediate Past State Deputy Kelly Mortensen and members of local Knights Councils. In addition to the Knights, the crowd of fifty guests included friends, donors, and local directors of six crisis pregnancy centers.
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest lay Catholic organization with more than 1.75 million members worldwide. Last year, Knights gave more than 68 million hours of their time to charitable causes and donated more than $144 million to charity. Learn more at www.kofc.org.
Tepeyac Family Center, a program of Divine Mercy Care, is the largest OB/GYN facility of its kind in the country delivering more than 700 babies per year. Tepeyac enjoys a committed patient, volunteer and donor base because of its ethical and moral care for pregnant mothers and their unborn babies, both the insured and the uninsured. Divine Mercy Care seeks the financial support of individuals and organizations to help provide this charitable healthcare. To make a donation or to learn more about the mission of Divine Mercy Care/Tepeyac Family Center, go to www.divinemercycare.org.
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