“Mayari mu rin.” “Milabas mu rin.”

These are the words my boyfriend kept telling me before the procedure. They became a source of strength for me. We knew we weren’t ready—and we knew, deep in our hearts, that we were making the right decision.

I’m 19 years old, and my boyfriend is 22. We’re both not yet prepared to raise a child. I’m still studying, and he doesn’t have a stable job to support the needs of a baby. We’re not ready—financially, spiritually, emotionally, or physically.

We almost got scammed online by people selling fake pills. Ditak nang ditak, sali na kami. But thankfully, we found Project 486. Through it, we met Dr. Alex and Dr. JJ, who genuinely guided us through the process. They gave us the right information, explained the risks, and answered all of our questions with patience and care. At first, we were hesitant. We weren’t sure if we would go through with it. But I had a strong feeling that they weren’t like the others I had spoken to online. They were different. The so-called “doctors” on Facebook told us the procedure would take 7–8 hours—which felt rushed and unsafe. But Dr. JJ’s method matched what I had researched online and felt much more trustworthy. With that in mind, my boyfriend and I made our decision. Throughout the process, Dr. JJ guided and supported us every step of the way. He was always responsive to our messages and patiently led us through the necessary preparations and the procedure itself. With his help, we successfully completed the process.

When I saw my baby, I was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions—fear, sadness, exhaustion, and relief. I felt relief knowing it was finally over, that no further pain or hardship would come my way. Masakit sobra ing atin kang dadalan na emu naman buring dalan. I have always longed to have a baby and dreamed of becoming a mother, but not under these circumstances. Masakit sobra na kailangan kung gawan ita kasi eku pa ready adyang ating part kanaku na buri keng i-keep ing baby ku. Despite the pain, I know I have to do this—for us, and for my baby’s sake. My baby deserves to be raised when we are fully prepared; I cannot imagine bringing a child into a situation where we are not ready. He is far too precious, and we want to ensure that we can give him the care and support he truly deserves.

This journey has strengthened our relationship. I saw how much my boyfriend truly loves me and how well he can take care of me. It breaks my heart that we can’t raise our baby and won’t be able to watch him grow. But we always remind each other that we made the right choice. Our decision was the best one for us. As my boyfriend said, milabas rin, at meyari ya rin—we got through it, and it’s done. We made it, and we believe it was the right choice.

To Dr. JJ,
Thank you for your patience with us, regardless of what happened and the decision we made. May you continue to help many women in their journeys. I believe you have the heart and ability to guide people through their situations. I hope this story inspires many women and reminds them that they are not alone.

Maybe many people will say that abortion is a sin, but we believe that God is sovereign—even over things we don’t fully understand. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. From our experience, we can say that God allowed this to happen. This is not our whole story—this is just a part of it. It does not define us, and it never will.