Birthright of Albuquerque Inc

Birthright is here

...for every woman who comes to us for help. Whether she needs a pregnancy test or friendship and support lasting through the pregnancy and beyond, Birthright is here. Every woman is special and deserves to be treated with love and respect, as well as personal attention to her unique situation.

Birthright cares

...for every woman who comes to us. We are non-judgmental, and are not involved in any religious or political activities. Birthright is here to help mothers make a plan for their future and the future of their unborn baby.

The Birth of Birthright

Birthright was born in Toronto, Canada, on October 15th, 1968.  At the time of the birth of what would eventually become an international organization, Louise Summerhill, the wife of a physician, had seven children, with five still at home. The youngest were 4-year old twins. When birth control pills became readily accessible after 1960, it was soon discovered that they didn't always “work” as advertised, for a variety of reasons. As a result, many groups world-wide advocated for the legalization of abortion in their countries. 

In her book, “The Story of Birthright”, Louise said that “..it is so easy to become deeply and emotionally involved in “lobbying” against the legalization of abortion...and to overlook the humane concern of our opponents for the suffering and despair of distraught pregnant women.” She recounted how she came to a “..gradual awakening to a general sense of my responsibility to do something positive within my own radius of action.”  So, as she described in her book, “with God's help I came to the decision to carry the child I had conceived to term” - and Birthright was born – with a handful of volunteers and $300 in the bank. 

Louise's vision was to create an organization to serve the “women at the well” in our own communities, with no judgements and with love - to build affirming relationships with them, their confidence and feelings of self-worth. With an overwhelming response at the grass-roots level, chapters rapidly sprang up throughout Canada, the United States, and a number of other countries. One of the first chapters established was in Albuquerque, in 1971. Louise's four-year old twin girls carried on the vision of their mother after her death and are currently members of the Board of Directors of Birthright International. The daughter of one of Louise's twins, Victoria Summerhill-Fox, is now the Executive Director of Birthright International.

The Early Years of Birthright in Albuquerque

New Mexico was at the forefront of “abortion rights” advocacy since the early 1960s. In 1969, Emma Gomez was a “scrub nurse” in the “railroader's hospital” on Central Ave, one of 13 hospitals built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway along its route from Chicago to Los Angeles. (The main hospital building was later transformed into Hotel Parq Central.)  In an interview with Emma in early February of 2024, at the age of 96, Emma recalled a conversation she had, with one of the surgeons she worked for, about the tragedy of abortions. At the time, she was the Secretary of the Right to Life Committee of New Mexico. She said he challenged her, saying “if you feel so strongly about this, why don't you do something about it”.  

Father Carl Hammer, the first pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, told Emma about a woman in Toronto, Louise Summerhill, who had recently founded an organization called Birthright. Louise's vision was to “do something positive within my own sphere of action”, to physically and emotionally support pregnant women and new mothers and their babies. Inspired by this vision, to encourage and build relationships with women who may have felt that abortion was their only option, Emma resigned her position as Secretary of the Right to Life Committee, and together with six enthusiastic friends, they applied to form a local chapter of Birthright International. 

Birthright of Albuquerque was granted a charter in December of 1971. With help from a supportive attorney, John J. Mulhern, the chapter was incorporated in the State of New Mexico in January of 1972. 

Interested in Becoming a Birthright Volunteer? 

Birthright of Albuquerque relies on the dedication of its all-volunteer staff. We welcome anyone who shares our commitment to offer loving, confidential, nonjudgmental support to women who are pregnant (or think they may be), helping them to celebrate their pregnancies and to build their confidence and enthusiasm as mothers.

There are many ways that volunteers can support our mission. Please give us a call or send an email to let us know if there is a convenient time for you to stop by and see firsthand what we do.

Our hours, phone and email:

10am-1pm Monday through Thursday
Phone: (505) 262-2235
Email: birthrightabq@gmail.com

We’ll provide you with information on the Birthright Charter and its history. You can then come back and do whatever is of most interest to you,including shadowing experienced volunteers.