The thing about abortion is that I didn’t think I would ever have one because I was raised thinking abortions were only from birth control failures.  In reality, abortions are common and necessary reproductive healthcare that are needed for so many reasons. Unfortunately, I had to learn firsthand how incorrect my beliefs surrounding abortion were.

I was seven months pregnant with our second child. After weeks of testing and me crying nonstop in between working and parenting our toddler, we met with our specialist team to hear how painful and devastating our son’s fatal birth defects were. He couldn’t survive – he couldn’t even breathe (no esophagus, stomach connected to lungs, and many other horrific issues). I had to sign over my rights to his medical treatment to the state and since abortion at my gestation was illegal in my state, I was to start massive steroids and other medications to keep my body from naturally miscarrying. I was sick and our baby was incapable of living. Yet somehow in our society, I was made to feel awful guilt for terminating a pregnancy that wasn’t viable to save him from a painful, torturous death and to save my own life.

I’m so grateful every day that we were able to travel and have an abortion. My heart breaks for those not as fortunate and for those dealing with these decisions post Roe. Women are capable of making the right decision. Abortion is not black and white, it’s a million shades of gray and the final decision belongs solely with the pregnant person.  Abortion is a fundamental human right and we all need to fight like hell to get back the choice that has always been rightfully ours.

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