“Mrs C was pregnant and wanted medication to terminate the pregnancy. She shared that she already had four daughters and both she and her husband were hoping for a son. Then one day, out of the blue, Mrs. C called me. I froze for a bit…”
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Towards the end of 2023, while at work on a Saturday afternoon, a woman in her late 30s or early 40s, Mrs. C, walked into the pharmacy where I work and requested to speak with a pharmacist. She was pregnant and wanted medication to terminate the pregnancy.
Mrs. C shared that she already had four daughters and did not want another female child, as she and her husband were hoping for a son. She mentioned that she had paused her life, especially her education, to care for their children and wanted to return to school.
Abortion is illegal in Nigeria, and the medication she requested is a controlled substance, only dispensed with a doctor’s prescription. However, I also knew that some pharmacies might provide it without hesitation, driven by financial gain. They would sell it at an exorbitant rate to desperate individuals willing to do anything for it.
At the pharmacy I was working in at the time—as I would later realise—abortion wasn’t considered a big deal. I began conversing with Mrs. C because, unlike many others, she didn’t just stand at the counter and bluntly ask for the medication. Instead, she came inside and shared her story, revealing a seemingly valid reason for her decision.
She mentioned visiting our pharmacy because of a previous positive experience with one of my colleagues, Pharm. H. She said she had stopped by once to get some medications, and Pharm. H was courteous while attending to her, which prompted her to return. In fact, she came to see Pharm. H and not me. As God would have it, Pharm. H was not working that day, and I was the one attending to her. If Pharm. H had been around, Mrs. C would have opted to speak with her, and maybe her request would have been granted.
This unexpected turn of events allowed me to engage with her, and we began conversing.
During our conversation, Mrs. C expressed uncertainty about God’s will. She made a statement along the lines of, “I don’t know what God is saying.” I jumped on that statement with my whole being to talk to her about why she should keep the pregnancy. I explained to her that abortion is simply murder, and that going ahead with it is giving Satan a license to torment her and her family.
God helped me, as the pharmacy was unusually quiet that Saturday. Typically, Saturdays can be quite busy in most community pharmacies because that’s when people are mostly free to stop by and get their medications or consult with a pharmacist. On a regular day, I would have people waiting to see me, but as God would have it, nobody came while I was speaking with her.
I approached the conversation from both spiritual and practical perspectives. From a spiritual standpoint, I told her that abortion is a sin against God and is something that would weigh on her conscience for a very long time.
For the physical aspect, I highlighted the importance of female children, often more family-oriented and caring for their parents in old age. Mrs. C resonated with this, proudly sharing about her first daughter’s intelligence and accomplishments. She then expressed a desire for a scan, hoping it would give her some clarity. But given the early stage of her pregnancy, a scan was pointless, as it would not be able to detect the sex of the child.
Our conversation came to a close when other customers started arriving—and Mrs. C agreed to keep the pregnancy. I asked if I could pray for her. She agreed. During the prayer, I felt led to say, “Father, because she will obey You, please let her reap the fruits of her obedience.” I also prayed that even if she didn’t get what she wanted, she would have the peace that comes with obeying God and trust that His plans are good. I had to include that part too because, in my mind, I didn’t want someone to come back after nine months and say, “But you prayed for me that if I kept the pregnancy, it would be a male child.”
As I prayed, I noticed Mrs. C started crying—and she continued to cry even after I was done praying for her. She subsequently shared that, ironically, she is a Sunday School teacher in her church, and she often advises women in similar situations—women who are confused about whether to keep a pregnancy or not, to keep the pregnancy. And yet, here she was considering an abortion. I consoled her, we exchanged numbers, and I promised to stay in touch.
After she left, doubt crept in. Would her husband override her decision to keep the pregnancy? She had earlier mentioned that they had mutually agreed to go ahead with the abortion. But I chose to trust God, believing He would guide her. Some days later, we spoke again, and surprisingly, she asked for multivitamin recommendations for a pregnant woman. I was more than happy to help. As the days turned into months, I wondered what would happen next.
Then one day, out of the blue, Mrs. C called me. I was taken aback. She called to inform me that she had given birth. I froze for a bit; I couldn’t ask the gender immediately. All I could mutter was, “Thank You, Jesus.” I sensed disappointment in her voice as she asked, “You won’t ask me the gender?” I apologised and asked. Guess what! It was a boy! I was overjoyed and so happy. I kept saying, “Thank You, Jesus!”
Mrs. C was incredibly grateful. She thanked me for my earlier counsel that helped her change her plans. She promised to always share the testimony of her son’s birth and the story behind it whenever she speaks about him. Although I could not attend the child’s dedication ceremony, I’ve seen pictures of the adorable baby boy.
I’m deeply grateful to God for Mrs. C, and I’m amazed by God’s intentionality and care for us when we obey Him. This experience strengthened my faith, and I’m sure it strengthened hers too.
I bless God for this amazing thing He has done.
May His name be praised forever.
© GAM 2026
