Selma and Dallas County Sav-A-Life announced Thursday night during a banquet that they purchased a new ultrasound machine to further the services they offer.

“We are super excited to get the machine,” said Jennifer Dobbs, executive director of Selma and Dallas County Save A Life. “We’ve been praying for this for over two years.”

With the help of the community and even people across the country, the nonprofit was finally able to buy the machine.

The Knights of Columbus, a fraternal Catholic society, raised enough money at the local level and from its national organization to purchase the ultrasound.

Dobbs said she is ready to begin using the ultrasound to help women in the community during what can be a difficult and uncertain time in their lives.

“We’re just excited to be able to offer a new tool to be able to help women and families choose life,” Dobbs said. “They want to see their baby. They want to know what’s going on. So offering them that choice to be able to see that baby from six weeks on, that’s going to draw them in.”

Along with the new ultrasound machine, Save-A-Life hired Laura Stover, a new technician.

“I’m very excited to be able to offer another educational tool to women who are pregnant, who are thinking about abortion or thinking about their options for their pregnancy,” Stover said. “I think it’s going to make a huge difference for a mother to be able to see the baby.”

Stover said she is thankful for the opportunity to be able to work with the women and offer them vital information during pregnancy.

“I believe that it’s what this facility needs,” Stover said.

Selma-Dallas County Sav-A-Life is located at 218 Union St. in Selma. The organization’s telephone number is (334) 875-8900.