Before her thirtieth birthday, Mary Cunningham Agee had climbed the ladder of success at two Fortune 500 companies; she had married William Agee, the CEO at Bendix Corporation; and she had written "Power Play," which became a bestseller. But Mary was about to take on the most important project of her life—she was pregnant.

Filled with high hopes, Mary meticulously decorated the nursery for their first child. She envisioned feeling a special closeness when the baby would be snugly wrapped in the comforter made from pieces of Mary’s own clothing. Yet things didn’t work out as they had planned.

After hearing the baby’s heartbeat and watching her frolic on the sonogram monitor, Mary began to experience some vaginal bleeding. When the bleeding increased, she realized she was having a miscarriage, and could hardly believe that her dreams where quickly slipping away.

"The hardest part was coming home from the hospital with empty arms to face an empty nursery," Mary said.

As she began carefully wrapping the precious nursery items to be stored away, Mary was overwhelmed with feelings of grief and loss. But in spite of her anguish, her faith was intact. She knew that the Lord would eventually turn her sorrow into joy.

"What am I being invited to understand through this trial?" she contemplated. "I know that I am suffering from postpartum depression and postmortem depression, but I also know that the Lord wants to bring something good out of my sorrow."

Because of her own loss she thought about professional women who face unplanned pregnancies and choose abortion. She understood the grief and loss they must feel after an abortion and wondered how she could help these women. Thinking of others helped her through her grief.

In an effort to determine the needs of professional woman facing unplanned pregnancies, Mary used the market research skills she had learned at Harvard Business School. She began interviewing 100 women who had had an abortion, asking them each two questions.

The first question was, "Do you regret having the abortion!" To her amazement, 89% of the women answered yes, and explained that they would have considered other alternatives if there had been any good ones available.

The second question was, "What would good alternatives have looked like" Most of the women described things like keeping their jobs or continuing their education. Mary concluded that a special network was needed to match the needs of women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, with people willing to meet those needs. "I took it as a moral imperative to create such a network."

When she contacted corporate executives, churches, and small business owners, Mary found many willing to help women facing unplanned pregnancies. Some volunteered to provide temporary employment with full benefits, while others were willing to open their homes to arrange low rent alternatives for women needing to relocate.

"It doesn’t take large amounts of money, but it takes people with resources and time who are willing to help other people," Mary explained.

Several colleges and universities agreed to accept transfers during the school year so women could continue their education at a new location.

With a handful of volunteers and $300,000 from the sale of her vacation home, The Nurturing Network (TNN) became a reality in 1985. The first year, the Network was able to help 19 women who faced unplanned pregnancies.

Each woman has her own set of circumstances when she calls TNN. For example, when Eleanor got pregnant, she had a Master’s degree and was working in New York as a counselor for troubled teens. She did not think the father of her baby could provide a stable home environment for the baby and her. It would have been an embarrassment for her co-workers and for her if she continued at her job. Because she wanted to keep her pregnancy confidential, Eleanor needed to relocate without losing medical benefits or jeopardizing her career.

Eleanor’s relocation from New York to California was arranged by the Network, and she was offered employment in a similar field. In addition, the Network provided her with a nurturing home where she was treated as one of the family.

As a result of TNN’s help, Eleanor discovered the courage and strength she needed to choose adoption for her child. Her appreciation was reflected in a letter she later wrote to TNN: "I have painfully learned a lot, but things have worked out great and I have you to thank. Everyone at the Network helped me to see that joy is possible and that there truly is a future for my child and myself."

Rafaela’s story shows that the network is not just for professional women. She had met her husband in Panama while he was assigned to a nearby U.S. Army installation. Shortly after they were married, Rafaela’s husband received orders for reassignment to California, but things did not go well for them. "After three years of marriage he took my green card away and tried to send me back to Panama. I would not go back and two years later, I was homeless and pregnant."

The father of the baby demanded that Rafaela have an abortion and he began threatening her. In addition, every agency she turned to for help also told her that she should have an abortion. But Rafaela wanted to have her baby and make a life for them.

Monsignor Murphy, a priest at a local Catholic Church, told Rafaela about The Nurturing Network and put her in touch with Mary Agee. Mary said, "She needed everything: a place to stay, clothing, a green card, and a job."

A Network family gave her a place to stay and helped her get a green card so she could work. She was given a job caring for the elderly. Several months later, her daughter Sarah was born. "I learned a lot from this. I am glad because the help from the Network helped me have and keep my baby. She is so beautiful. When she smiles it gives me energy to do the things I need to do."

Growing from small beginnings, the Network now has more than 22,000 volunteers across the nation who provide practical support services to women. Each woman who dials 800 TNN-4-MOM is assisted with a program tailored specifically to meet her individual needs.

Because Mary’s faith in the Lord did not waver when she encountered a great loss, she was able to follow His leading to create a network of willing hands that has saved more than 8,000 babies. She knew that the Lord would bring something good out of her sorrow.