After the Visit: "... it was good to be connected to someone."

When Joyce first walked into a Watermark Health clinic, she had no idea her life was about to change. What she thought would be a routine visit turned into a moment that stopped her in her tracks: she was already six months pregnant.

“I went to Watermark Health and they told me I was like six months pregnant. I was shocked. All I could remember thinking was wow,” Joyce recalls, still feeling the weight of that day.

A coworker had mentioned Watermark Health to her, and that simple recommendation led Joyce to a place where she found not just medical answers, but a community ready to stand with her in the middle of the unexpected.

The Early Prenatal Care team supported Joyce through her initial pregnancy visits and helped her take the crucial next steps to ensure both she and her baby received the care they needed. That support didn’t stop with medical care. The clinic also connected her with Allie—a pregnancy mentor committed to walking alongside her through the rest of her pregnancy and into new motherhood.

“When I went to the clinic, I told them I don’t have any family besides my husband to support me. And then they connected me to Allie. It was good to be connected to someone,” Joyce shares.

Allie and Joyce soon began meeting, forming a relationship marked by encouragement and presence. But as they learned each other’s stories and settled into a rhythm, Joyce’s baby girl decided to come early.

Baby Michaela was born prematurely and spent her first weeks in the Parkland Hospital PICU. Though her arrival was unexpected and challenging, today Michaela is home—healthy, loved, and thriving with her mom and dad.

Allie has continued to be a steady support as Joyce navigates the early days of motherhood while balancing work and life. Having someone who has walked through those early, overwhelming months made the transition into parenting less isolating for Joyce.

“It’s important to have people there to support you as you raise a young one,” Allie says. “It has been a gift and a blessing to be walking with Joyce.”

Joyce has faced significant hardship—losing her mother at a young age and growing up without the support many take for granted. Yet through her strength, determination, and the community that has come around her, she looks toward the future with hope. Her desire is simple and profound: to create a home where she can be a steady, loving presence for baby Michaela.

And now, surrounded by care, support, and growing faith, she’s well on her way.

At Watermark Health, the benefits extend far beyond a patient visit. The healthcare and spiritual resources we connect our patients to have the ability to create lasting life change. As a partner of Watermark Health, you make these benefits possible. Learn more - 2025 Explanation of Benefits.

Names and identifying details have been changed for patient care purposes but this story retains key facts representing real impact of Watermark Health's Early Prenatal Care services.