Project Mary's Flower

Purpose: Teach volunteers how to explain the project without debating.

Trainer: Let's practice the core line. What does The Christine Institute believe?

Volunteer: That a pregnant person can have an abortion and the baby lives.

Trainer: Yes — that's our question that changes the status-quo. So when someone asks what Project Mary's Flower is, you say: It's a project to make that option real in Massachusetts now that the law has changed to physician judgment.

Volunteer: What if they ask why it's called Mary's Flower?

Trainer: Two parts. Mary as a symbol of yes to life in difficult circumstances, and the Madonna lily as a flower that has meant purity and new life for centuries. It's a gentle way in. We're not leading with politics. We're leading with, is there a way to honor both the person seeking care and the possibility of life?

Volunteer: And what do we actually do?

Trainer: Three things. We map willing providers and hospitals, we build a support circle around the patient — advocate, social worker, postpartum care, adoption or parenting resources — and we document cases with consent so we can show this model works. No medical advice from volunteers, no counseling beyond your training. Your job is to listen, share the one-pager, and connect to a lead.

You: Dr. Ryan, thanks for 60 seconds. You saw Massachusetts removed the 24-week ban and moved to physician judgment.

Dr. Ryan: I did.

You: That creates a space we haven't had. I'm with The Christine Institute. Our mission is what we call no-kill abortion — a separation that ends the pregnancy for the patient but preserves the infant with appropriate neonatal support when that's medically feasible and consistent with the patient's goals.

Dr. Ryan: You're talking about induction and NICU?

You: When clinically appropriate, yes. Patient-centered, fully consented. What we hear from patients is they often don't want to end a life, they need to end a pregnancy for health, circumstance, severe anomaly, or trauma. If your judgment is the standard now, can we give you and the patient one more option besides termination?

Dr. Ryan: What's the ask?

You: Project Mary's Flower would like to be a backup for you — a list of peer physicians, ethics and social work support, and a fund for the wraparound care that makes a life-preserving choice viable. No pressure on your practice. Just, if you have a case where this fits the patient's values, would you be willing to have a confidential conversation?

Community member: I'm pro-choice, so I'm glad Massachusetts expanded access. But I saw your sign about abortion and the baby lives. How does that work?

You: Thanks for asking honestly. I support bodily autonomy too. That's why this project exists. Sometimes a person at 26, 28 weeks needs to end their pregnancy for their own health or life circumstances. Under the new law, that's their and their doctor's decision. What we're asking is, if the baby could live outside the womb, should that person have the option of a delivery that ends the pregnancy but doesn't end the infant's life?

Community member: Is that still an abortion?

You: We use that language intentionally because for the pregnant person, the goal is to not be pregnant anymore. That's the core of abortion access. We believe there can be a way to achieve that while also preserving life when the patient wants that.

Community member: Why Mary?

You: Because Mary is a story about a difficult yes, and flowers are a universal sign of life continuing. We called it Project Mary's Flower so it doesn't sound clinical or political. It's about adding an option, not taking one away. If someone doesn't want it, they don't choose it. If they do want it, Massachusetts now gives physicians the judgment to offer it, and we want to make sure the support is there.

You: So Project Mary's Flower is our response to Massachusetts.

Colleague: The new patient access law?

You: Exactly. As of this month, after 24 weeks it's no longer a hard ban, it's physician judgment. That's the door we've been talking about.

Colleague: How so?

You: Our question has always been, can a person have an abortion and the baby lives? We believe yes. A separation that ends the pregnancy for the patient but preserves the child - induced labor, c-section where medically appropriate, neonatal support. For years hospitals said, we can't, the law boxes us in at 24 weeks.

Colleague: And now the law says it's the doctor's call.

You: Right. So Project Mary's Flower is about making that call real. First, map which hospitals and physicians in MA are actually willing to offer a no-kill option when a patient qualifies for later care. Second, build the support around it - patient advocates, social workers, adoptive and parenting resources, so it's not just a procedure, it's a path.

Colleague: Why Mary?

You: Two reasons. Biblically, Mary says yes to life in hard circumstances, and we see flowers as the sign that life continues after winter. And practically, Mary is recognizable and gentle. When we talk to a patient or a provider, we're not leading with politics, we're leading with, is there a way to honor both  the person seeking care and the possibility of life?

Colleague: So what's the ask for this phase?

You: For Project Mary's Flower, we're not lobbying for a new law. The law changed. We're educating. We want to put together a one-pager for providers, a patient FAQ, and a small pilot fund for the support piece - travel, neonatal consult, postpartum care. If we can document even three cases in Massachusetts where pregnancy ended and baby lived with consent and care, we have proof of concept.