A place to be in control of my own body and life.
In November 2011, I found out I was pregnant from a doctor I didn't know in an ER. I went in because I was throwing up with severe pain after intercourse. He checked me over and told me there was nothing he could do other than give me tylenol because I was pregnant. I was poor, barely able to afford a roof over my head, went most days with only one small meal, even though I was working full-time because I was also trying to care for my ill father and help with his expenses.
I did know anything about abortions or my options, but I knew that bringing a child into a home where it couldn't be cared for wasn't an option in my life.
I made an appointment with a local OB-GYN to get checked out because it was still hard to believe I'd gotten pregnant while taking the pill daily (I even checked and rechecked to make sure I had never ever missed a pill). She explained to me that she sees babies born while the mother is taking birth control quite frequently and her own daughter got pregnant while on the same pill. When I talked to her about the pain I was still experiencing she told me due to the placement of implantation I may experience quite a bit of discomfort and to just "deal with it the best (I) could". Bringing up the topic of abortion was uncomfortable, but something I needed more information on - she refused to give me any information, no names, or numbers, no medical information - NOTHING! She told me to go home and rest and come back in a month for a follow-up appt.
I had to take it on myself to research abortions, medical practices, and locations in my area (ZERO), so then I had to start searching outside my state of KY to find someone who could possibly help me and I found a clinic in WV, five hours from my home, and they were kind and understanding and more than willing to talk me through all of my options, even the ones that did not include abortion.
When I decided with my significant other abortion was the right step, so I would still be able to take care of all my other responsibilities, the clinic was kind in handling all their questions and setting up my appointment. When I arrived, the staff was soft spoken, understanding, and tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible. The women talked me through the entire process and helped my significant other support me in the way I needed, but didn't know how to explain. The procedure was quicker than I thought and not as terrifying because the nurse who attended never left my side, never stopped answering me, and no one made me feel like I was making any decision for the wrong reasons or that I deserved to be judged.
I'm not saying any of this was easy or pleasant, because I carried around guilt and shame and so many other negative emotions for YEARS and still carry someday because of what opinions I was raised around and the horrible things people still say today, but I'm now a mother of two amazing children.
I saved up enough money to buy them a home before bringing them into the world, I found a stable job with decent pay, and I made a life where it was safe and loving for them to come.
I may sometimes still hurt over the decision I still feel I needed to make, but I don't regret my decision and one day I'll talk to my children about the experience and explain to them why I made the decisions and what an amazing resource it was to have a place to go, a place to be in control of my own body and life. I will always always be thankful places like this exist.
– Kimberly