I haven’t had an abortion, but I have supported many dear friends through theirs. Each one different, each one hard for different reasons. The one that I am sharing now was the one that cemented my beliefs that abortion should always remain a legal choice.
My friend had fled an abusive relationship. She was in college at a conservative and well known Baptist university, home for Christmas break when she realized her late period was also presenting other symptoms. She had been so caught up in the stress of escaping the boyfriend, filing for a protective order, finishing finals, and surviving that she imagined it was stress causing her to skip a period.
When she took the pregnancy test and it was positive, it was devastating.
She needed an abortion to stay in college, maintain her status within her community and her family, as well as to end her entanglement with her abuser. I was a nearby friend she had who could keep her secret and offer her a place to rest after the procedure.
It wasn’t easy for her physically or mentally, but the relief she felt when it was over was real. She went on to graduate with honors, keep her standing within her family, and she now has two beautiful and strong daughters she shares with her kind and supportive husband.
She deserved to have that choice as we all should.
–Mikel