A Haven for Hope: Care for Women, One Journey at a Time
December 2024
Article by Tory Kolkhorst | Photos by Kelvin Pinney
“We love them both,” says LaVie CEO Cindy Nordstog, who refers to pregnant moms seeking services and their unborn babies. LaVie Health stands boldly in the heart of downtown Billings as a beacon of hope for women facing crisis pregnancies. They provide free and low-cost services ranging from pregnancy testing, ultrasound exams, STD/STI testing, pre and post-abortion care, abortion pill reversal education and referrals, sports physicals, pregnancy and parenting classes, community resource connections including onsite biblical counseling, and more. Kristi Williams, Clinic Manager, shares, “We meet each patient where she is according to her emotional and physical needs. Whatever challenges she is facing, we are here for her and will provide compassion and care with no judgment."
Ultrasounds – The Power of Knowledge
Most notably, LaVie provides no-cost ultrasounds performed by trained professionals to help women understand their pregnancies and receive answers to any questions they may have. Ultrasounds are offered to help detect a fetal heartbeat, determine an approximate due date, define the number of fetuses, determine the location of the pregnancy (intrauterine or ectopic), and advise immediate medical attention at an emergency room, if necessary. “A woman needs to know this information no matter how far along she is and no matter what she is facing. Knowledge is power, and if we want women to make the best decisions for their babies, we need to empower them with medical information upfront. An ultrasound offers truth and reality,” Williams continues.
LaVie’s Impact on Patients
“Our goal is to meet every woman with dignity and respect. We know that everyone who comes in has their own unique gifts and talents, and it is a life-changing experience for us at LaVie to have the opportunity to serve our patients,” Nordstog explains. By approaching each appointment with love and acceptance, the staff at LaVie has found it common for women to let down their walls and feel empowered to share the most intimate details of their circumstances. This allows the staff to help treat their patients holistically according to their unique needs. Former patient Brooklee shares, “(LaVie) is awesome! Thank you for giving me the knowledge that I could, in fact, do this. It is the utmost rewarding thing I have ever done in my life! I was so scared to find out I was pregnant at 16. LaVie took me in with open arms and told me everything was going to be okay. Now, as I look at my 10-year-old child, they were absolutely right! I couldn’t have done this journey without their years of support!”
The New Home of LaVie Health
If you’re a Billings native, you may have seen LaVie’s previous two buildings, one located in the Heights and one located off Broadwater Avenue, before they consolidated into one central location, now situated in the core of downtown at 2501 4th Avenue North. In addition to having the increased capacity to serve more patients and accommodate more volunteers, the new clinic is conveniently located blocks away from the public transportation system, so they are seeing many more walk-ins. The new space is a sight to see, featuring clean and natural design elements, dazzling light features, and custom murals painted by local Billings artist Rilie Tané Zumbrennen. One of the murals is an artistic take on a portrait of a woman, her arm inscribed with the words “I am enough.” In many cases, patients who first come in for services are hard on themselves, often reflecting how they’ve been met in the community or how they are treated in social circles. The team at LaVie works devotedly to show every person who enters their building just how worthy and valued they are.
The entire space was designed with the patients in mind, as Nordstog hoped it would serve as a place of refuge that could provide women a sense of serenity amidst any storm they may be facing. This project was made possible by countless donations from community partners, private donors, capital campaigns, notable contributions from the Gianforte Family Foundation, and a generous estate gift from former LaVie board member Jan Kirk. Following the official ribbon cutting in June of 2024, Nordstog shared in a press statement, “Even though we have an updated look, our mission remains the same. LaVie continues to empower women through compassionate medical care for early pregnancies. We will continue to strive to make a profound impact and create a nurturing community where our patients feel supported and valued.”
The Journey of Motherhood
No matter who you are, if you find yourself amid a pregnancy, planned or unplanned, LaVie is here to support you in whatever capacity they can. Every woman has a sleeping lioness within, and when you awaken her, you will find that there is no love in the world as fierce as a mother’s love for her child. Motherhood is among the most transformative journeys a woman can experience, and the hope is that any woman who faces a crisis pregnancy situation knows that whatever her choice may be, the power to deliver and raise children already lies within her. As LaVie Health shares in their mission, “We hear her. We see her. We love her. She is not alone.”
Originally printed in theDecember 2024 issue of Simply Local Magazine
Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!
Tory Kolkhorst grew up in the Huntley Project community, went on to receive degrees from Texas A&M University, and then quickly returned to the Last Best Place, where she and her husband, Collin, have planted roots to raise their two children, Kennedy and Crew. With a day job in federal government, Tory finds indulgence in audiobooks, reality TV, Crumbl cookies, and Taylor Swift songs. Proverbs 9:10.