Last week I was checking in with my friend D, a Vice President at my organization who rocks, I love working with her. She's smart, hella organized, works tirelessly for the nursing home workers she represents and just fucking kind. She's also deeply, DEEPLY religious.
At the end of our meeting where we outlined some plans to save the world, she had a random question for me:
"My members have been talking about that new abortion law in NY. It's a really hot topic and they just don't understand how the state could pass it. What am I missing? Do you know anything about it?"
"Funny you should ask that," I replied.
So I told her. I started with the miscarriages. And then I got to Celine. About how we were lucky to be able to see Celine's future pain on a 13 weeks scan and had a few weeks to talk to specialists. And how Samantha truly was a miracle for science and faith. And then I explained exactly what the law was designed to cover, and shared with her these two articles:
This, Interview with a woman who had an abortion at 32 weeks,
And the follow-up to her story. (Spoiler: It has as happy an ending as anyone who suffers such trauma can claim).
I explained that this woman's advocacy (she lobbied HARD) led to the NY law's [assage. And how sad it was that this was really HEALTHCARE legislation being dressed as morality. How no woman wants to say goodbye to their desperately loved baby, let alone have to fly to Colorado and spend tens of thousands of dollars to do it.
Well, D read both articles and thanked me for them. She also printed them out for the workers she knew who were asking so many questions.
These past few months I have been pulling off of facebook. This conversation was all the rage there too.
To say these past few weeks have been triggering and depressing have been an understatement.
But, they did one thing to firm my resolve: If we get to a point in this country where safe abortion services are as limited and non-existent as state houses across the country are trying to make them, well sign me up for the call to help. I've got a spare room with a private bath (the nicest bathroom in our house). Someone vulnerable needs a place to stay? My state has doctors who perform second trimester abortions. I've got you covered.
