Fundraiser supports local pregnancy clinics

by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — She may not be the Donna Kelce, mother of two famous professional football players, but she might be just as famous here in the archdiocese.

The reason?

Donna Kelsey, in partnership with her husband Ron, has established not one, not two, but five pregnancy resource centers around the archdiocese. The latest is a second location of the Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic in Merriam.

On Feb. 13, more than 150 people gathered in the parish hall of St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas, to celebrate “An Evening of Life and Love,” an annual event designed to raise funds for the Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic and its two locations.

The evening’s festivities included a silent auction, a social hour, dinner and a program during which participants got to hear about the clinic’s ministry, as well as its material needs. After the program concluded, participants danced to the sounds of the Kansas City Lights. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann offered the opening and closing prayers.

As she began the evening, Donna joked about not being the Donna Kelce, but said she was “honored and privileged” to serve as the clinic’s volunteer executive director.

Sharing updates on the past year, she said, “We have so much news to tell you. It has been an unbelievable year of growth for the Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic. It’s been exciting. It’s been difficult. It’s been hard. It’s been rewarding, but every day we can see the finger of God just turning things and making things happen at our clinic.”

For example, in July, the clinic moved from its original location in the Mercy & Truth Building to the first floor of the former Duchesne Clinic’s building in Kansas City, Kansas, increasing its physical size from 1,600 to 4,000 square feet.

Then, there was the opening of the clinic’s second location, an event which took place in November — at least six months ahead of schedule. Just one block off I-35 and 75th St., Kelce said the second location is “just perfect. We even have room to grow there.”

One thing it does not have yet is an ultrasound machine, a fact that will change soon.

Asking all Knights of Columbus members in attendance to stand, former state deputy Mike Grothoff presented the clinic with a check in the amount of $22,050 from the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council, a gift that will be matched by the state council to purchase an ultrasound machine for the clinic.

In addition to providing sonograms, the clinic offers an array of services, drawing clients from the inner city on both sides of the Kansas-Missouri line. In 2024 alone, the clinic served 542 new clients, administered 510 pregnancy tests, conducted 800 ultrasounds and provided more than 3,500 different services to its clients, not counting the phone calls, emails and text messages.

Additionally, this past year, the clinic started offering presumptive eligibility for Medicaid, meaning clients without insurance can prequalify for Medicaid, increasing the likelihood of prenatal care earlier in their pregnancies. Dr. Patrick Herrick, a family medicine specialist in Olathe, recently named as the clinic’s medical director, said this will lead to better health outcomes for the women and their babies.

“There’s something very nurturing about what they’re doing,” said Herrick of Kelce and her staff. “There’s a very high rate of women keeping their pregnancies, and I want you to know that in the last week, I delivered two of their clients, and these are happy women.”

Elsewhere during her remarks, Kelce asked participants to pray for the staff and the women they serve, inviting four to represent the staff and share some of their experiences.

“I feel like they just come in scared,” said Melissa, the clinic’s lead sonographer. The clients are oftentimes under pressure from their families or boyfriends to have abortions.

“Then, they get to come back to the ultrasound room and see their baby and something changes when they’re able to see that baby.”