Home Our Diocese Knights of Columbus make new ultrasound machine possible for Wilmington pregnancy center

Knights of Columbus make new ultrasound machine possible for Wilmington pregnancy center

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Bishop Koenig sprinkles holy water on a new ultrasound machine at A Door of Hope pregnancy center in Wilmington on Feb. 28. The center assists women who want to carry their pregnancies to term. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

WILMINGTON — Expectant mothers who are in search of more detailed information about their babies now have a new tool at their disposal.

“A Door of Hope” pregnancy center in Wilmington received a new ultrasound machine from the Delaware State Council of the Knights of Columbus, and Bishop Koenig visited the center on Feb. 28 for a short prayer service and blessing.

“It is our fervent prayer that mothers in difficult situations will enter through this door of hope and come to know not only the great work of God and the gift of life he has given to their child, but also the gift of love he wants to share with them through those who work and volunteer in this ministry,” Bishop Koenig said.

Before the prayer service, Laurie Chapman, a registered nurse who works at the Wilmington location, said the new machine has the potential to be a difference-maker in encouraging women to carry their pregnancies to term. The new machine is a vast improvement over the previous version.

“With the old machine, this image would have been very blurry with lots of lines through them. It would have been very difficult to help her visualize what was going on,” Chapman said, showing an image of a fetus.

Using the new machine, they could see the fetus sucking its hand and moving its head around. The client was about nine weeks pregnant, which is around the earliest they see fetal movement. The clarity of the images “helps the client realize looking at her baby that it’s a real human in there, not just a blob.”

Rachel Metzger, the executive director of A Door of Hope, which also has a location in Middletown, said the machine has a 3D option, and mothers can also hear the heartbeat.

Several representatives of the Knights of Columbus were on hand for the dedication.

“We’re honored to just help you guys do your work. You’re on the front lines, and this is where it happens,” said Felix Spitelle, the state life director for the organization.

During the prayer service, Bishop Koenig said we are all formed by the Lord in our mothers’ wombs. In the past, a mother could only imagine what her child looked like.

“Today, with the advance of technology,” he said, “we’re able to see the work of God, this miracle of life from its very first moments.”