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My name is Leilani Canez and I am the oldest of five girls. I was raised in a very strict Christian home. We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday evening. It was very rare that we ever missed a church service. My Dad often led the song service for our church. We were very active in our church. I attended the Missionette’s program that our church offered.

I was not raised with much hugging or affirmation. I don’t remember being told that I was loved or that I was good at anything. My Dad was a hard worker but not affectionate at all with us girls. I thought that growing up and getting married and having kids was what you were supposed to do.
My boyfriend and I started having sex when I was eighteen. I got pregnant several months later. I went to the doctor to have it confirmed and he said yes, I was pregnant. I thought, now we can get married. I was in love with my boyfriend and was excited at the possibility of getting married and having his baby. We went together to tell my parents. They, of course, were not happy. My Mom began telling me that it wasn’t a baby yet, that it was just a mass of tissue. She also told me that I wasn’t healthy enough to have the baby. I felt alone and desperate. My boyfriend started having second thoughts about getting married after someone said, “you have school to finish. Are you ready to be a father”? So I felt like there was no one in my corner. I had no one to turn to. I didn’t feel like I had any support whatsoever not to have an abortion. No one came up to me and said, “I will help you, we will get through this together”. My parents paid half for the abortion and my boyfriend had to borrow the other half from his parents. After the abortion, I went into depression and had a numb feeling. My parents never spoke of it afterwards.

Because of what I have been through, I want to be able to help women who are in a crisis pregnancy and don’t know what to do or have had an abortion and need counseling. I feel God brought me to Living Hope Women Centers for that very reason. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a vital ministry and look forward to what God has in store for this ministry.