K of C Presents 500th Ultrasound Machine

The Knights of Columbus has donated an ultrasound machine to a Baltimore pregnancy center, making it the 500th such gift by the Knights to a pregnancy center dedicated to helping women keep and care for their unborn babies. This machine was donated under the Order’s Ultrasound Initiative

“When we began this program five years ago, we hoped to put a machine in every state,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson before presenting the ultrasound machine to the Greater Baltimore Center for Pregnancy Concerns for use at its Dundalk, MD, facility. “But this program has been even more successful because of the great need and the generosity of brother Knights from coast to coast.”

He added: “Not only has this program saved the lives of countless unborn children, but it has saved many mothers – and fathers – from a lifetime of regret.”

Supreme Knight Anderson made the presentation along with Supreme Chaplain and Archbishop of Baltimore William Lori at an annual mid-meeting of state deputies held in Baltimore.

The Knights Ultrasound Initiative began in January 2009 and initially provided a dozen or so machines that produced images of the unborn. The program has since expanded to all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Jamaica, and employs a range of devices, including the latest three-dimensional technology that allows the mother to see detailed images of her child in real time.

From the beginning, the availability of ultrasound technology has had a powerful impact, as it enriches the bond between mother and child — and father and child — and informs their decision-making about abortion.

The program encourages local Knights councils to advocate for qualified pro-life centers in their areas by raising half the expense of an ultrasound machine through a variety of fund-raising efforts. The K of C Supreme Council’s Culture of Life Fund then matches those dollars to contribute to the purchase of a single machine.

The initiative continues to expand and, in recent years, there has been increase in mobile medical units that serve a number of communities by using ultrasound machines the size of a laptop computer.