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Hannah's Prayer

© Jaime Ervi

When my doctor first diagnosed me with infertility I panicked. What was I going to do? I didn't know where to turn or what to do. I felt so alone. Then one day while checking my e-mail it dawned on me. This is the computer age, why not look online for support groups or information? That is when I first stumbled onto a web site called Hannah's Prayer Ministries. It was a lifesaver for me. It isn't a replacement for medical treatment and guidance; what it is is the support of others like you and me.

Hannah's Prayer is named after a woman named Hannah in the Bible. Her story is one of a woman suffering with infertility who turned to God and prayed that if he would bless her with a child she would give that child back to him. Hannah's prayer is a Christian non-profit organization that provides Christian and secular support information and tips to women and men who are praying that same prayer.

Late in 1994, after having struggled with infertility on their own, Rick and Jennifer Saake decided to form a small local support group that would bring together other Christians dealing with infertility.This was the beginning of what would grow into the wonderful web site, newsletter and support groups known as Hannah's Prayer Ministries.The first support group meeting only had a handful of couples. The first time they printed their newsletter, Hannah for Hannah, they only asked for 25 copies! Today Hannah for Hannah reaches roughly 1,200 of people through e-mail, web sites, and postal mail.

We all know what infertility is, it is a daily part of most of our lives. Hannah's Prayer Ministries are for the "Fertility challenged." Infertility is a very narrowly defined problem. It is the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected sex or to carry a child to live birth. The creators of Hannah's Prayer wanted to reach more than that. So they created the term "fertility challenged." This term is used to cover those who suffer from infertility, the tremendous sorrow of stillbirth, or the horrors of the death of an infant.

The main emphasis of Hannah's Prayer is to start local support group chapters through out the country. This group is still young, though, so there are still some areas that don't have chapters yet. Since the main concern of Hannah's prayer is the support of couples, they provide links to other good support groups also. Another great source of support found at Hannah's Prayer is Email Pals. You must be a Christian to use this feature but it is a wonderful resource for one on one support. In e-mail pals

The copyright of the article Hannah's Prayer in Infertility/Preconception is owned by Jaime Ervi. Permission to republish Hannah's Prayer in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.