This story is shared with permission. Some details have been changed to protect the donor’s privacy.
I had my abortion when I was a college student in New York City. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp how fortunate I was. I simply made an appointment at a reputable clinic and was cared for by medical professionals who treated me with compassion. It was emotional, yes, but it was also safe, respectful, and uncomplicated. I didn’t face protesters. I didn’t have to travel across state lines. I didn’t have to navigate overwhelming misinformation or unreasonable delays.
And yet, looking back, I know that access wasn’t perfect even then. Protections under Roe were never as strong as many of us believed. Clinics were closing, stigma was everywhere, and politicians were already finding ways to chip away at people’s autonomy. I was lucky to fall through the right doors at the right time, but so many others weren’t.
Now, in my 40s, married with two kids, I understand just how extraordinary my experience was. I made a decision about my own body and my own future, and that decision shaped the life I have today. It allowed me to finish school, build stability, and eventually become a parent when I was truly ready. I want that same freedom for everyone.
But the landscape today looks nothing like the one I knew in college. Politicians fight to restrict access to care that used to be simple and straightforward. Clinics are shutting down at alarming rates. Harassment of patients and providers is on the rise. Anti-abortion centers are multiplying and pretending to be medical clinics, forcing people to sift through lies and junk science to find real care. And young people who grew up believing Roe was “settled law” are now entering a world where that protection is completely gone.
That stark contrast between my experience and the reality facing young people today is a big part of why I support Pro-Choice North Carolina.
And when I say support, I don’t just mean financial gifts, though I give when I can. I show up in all the ways that fit my life right now:
- attending virtual updates, and reading PCNC's emails and monthly newsletters to stay informed
- talking openly about my abortion when it helps destigmatize the conversation
- shutting down inaccurate information when I see it or hear it to help keep misinformation from spreading
- answering PCNC's calls to action to contact lawmakers and remind them that they were elected to serve North Carolinians, not their own interests
It’s not one grand gesture; it’s a practice, a series of small actions that add up.
I support Pro-Choice North Carolina because I’ve lived the difference between what abortion access should look like and what access actually looks like today. And I see the impact of PCNC’s work every day: exposing deceptive anti-abortion centers, pushing for policy that protects real healthcare, uplifting student leaders, and equipping communities with the truth.
I want my children — and everyone’s children — to grow up in a state where healthcare decisions are made by people and their medical providers, not politicians. A state where truth matters more than ideology. A state where the care I received twenty years ago isn’t a privilege or a memory, but the baseline we fight to restore.
My abortion allowed me to build the life I chose. Supporting this work, in all the ways I can, is how I help protect that freedom for the next generation.
