Vitality Women's Clinic Nurse Manager Shares Story of Adoption and Mission Trips

Our Daily Show! Vitality Women's Clinic: Getting to Know Amy Runyan- Nurse Manager

GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic works with individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Their nurse manager, Amy Runyan, shared her story of faith and adoption.

Vitality is a pro-life, faith-based clinic that provides free STI and pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and additional resources for pregnant people and new parents. They do not refer for or perform abortions. Runyan emphasized that “compassion” leads the mission, and she is proud of the work they do.

“I feel like I have such compassion for the women that walk through our doors because I know what they’re going through. I know the struggles that they’ve been through. Even if I haven’t personally walked those things, I’ve walked through them with other people,” she said. “To have that kind of compassion is really needed in the job that we do.”

Runyan explained that she married her husband, a pastor, 27 years ago, and they began going on mission trips together. They have spent a lot of time at an orphanage in Nepal.

Runyan remembers how excited the kids were when they planned a barbecue; they were eager to have meat. These moments have affected Runyan and remind her of the importance of gratitude.

When they married, the couple had three kids from previous marriages and then had a fourth, a daughter, who Runyan joked was “the glue” that blended the family. But something was missing. Runyan had always been interested in becoming a foster parent, and her husband agreed they should give it a try.

“We went into it not to adopt kids. We went into it to help kids and to help parents,” she explained. “We had this idea that we were going to help these parents and walk alongside them as they went through this process of getting their kids back.”

But in every situation, the children eventually became eligible for adoption. Runyan and her husband have adopted 10 kids, ranging from babies to teenagers, in addition to their four older children. This has been a powerful experience for the family.

“It’s not always been easy. There’s been a lot of difficult moments. But it has always been rewarding. We’ve seen a lot of change in the kids. I think the main thing is we get the chance to change the trajectory of a child’s life,” Runyan said. “We really do change their whole life. I don’t just give myself credit in that. It’s all of us working together and our churches working with us and helping us. It is life-changing.”

Runyan added that anyone can become a foster or adoptive parent and change a child’s life. She hears from a lot of people who commend her or say they could never do this. But she emphasized that you don’t have to be a perfect parent, just a loving one.

“I’m just a normal, everyday person. There’s not anything extraordinary about me or my parenting or anything like that. It’s just that the one difference is we said yes,” she said. “It’s just bringing kids in our home and we’re being Mom and Dad to them. There are some extra challenges that come along with that, but I feel like anybody who is a parent or knows how to be a parent or wants to be a parent can do this job. It’s not anything extraordinary about me. My kids will tell you, I’m very imperfect. I make a lot of mistakes. I’ve learned a lot over the years. It’s just about saying yes.”

These experiences have helped Runyan in her role at Vitality. She noted that a lot of the work with pregnant individuals includes “walking them through some of the toughest times of their lives.” Runyan’s compassion and faith help her navigate this.

She added that Vitality staff members are not there to “pressure” patients into making decisions. She believes their aim is to help people figure out what is the best course of action for them.

“We’re not there to pressure them or to tell them what to do,” she said. “We’re there so that they have a safe place to come and talk about what they’re going through. We are full of compassion and care, and we’re there to just walk them through their choices and give them good information, not to try to pressure them or force them into making any kind of decision.”

If this mission resonates, Vitality’s Baby Bottle Campaign launches on Mother’s Day and runs through Father’s Day. There will be empty bottles distributed to churches and community groups throughout the area, and people can leave their change or spare dollars in the bottles.

For more information about the Baby Bottle Campaign or to learn more about the work at Vitality Women’s Clinic, visit their official website.

This Featured Article is sponsored by Vitality Women’s Clinic. To get your business or organization featured on www.Riverbender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.

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