My past week

How many times in one day can I tell someone that they just need to come up with more money? I feel like I’m a broken record. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of talking to women who are too poor to pay for their abortions. I’m tired of talking to women who shoot down every suggestion I have for them to raise some money, even the tiniest bit. I’m tired of talking to the same women day after day, week after week, who continue to reschedule their abortions, while the price of their abortion rises. I’m tired of my phone ringing off the hook. I’m tired of being so frustrated I could scream, or cry, or both. I’m tired of funding cuts. I’m tired of bad economic times. I’m tired of barriers being put in the way of health care, any health care.

This week has been probably the worst week I’ve had. I feel like I've been inundated me with women, all seeking as much money as they could get for their abortions. Some of them I was able to help, some of them I wasn’t. I guess that’s how it goes.

I talked to teenagers going at it on their own, not telling their parents, maybe not even telling their closest friends. How lonely that must be. They don’t have jobs, so how do they get the money for their abortions? I talked to single moms who are on food stamps, who get a little money together and then spend some of it on diapers or their light bill – this frustrates me. I feel awful that this frustrates me. I talked to women who are married and have kids, just barely making it and can’t imagine another mouth to feed and growing child to clothe. I talked to older women who maybe thought they were past their reproductive prime and never thought an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy would happen at their age.

I sit there, and talk to each of these women and agonize with them over how they can get money. They beg me to help them, and you have no idea how much I want to. Can’t I get a little bit more, any money would help? Do you have any other funds I can call/you can call? Please.

It’s sad. It’s sad to know that some of these women and really, girls are going to be mothers, for the first time and again. Fortunately, there are those stories that make you feel good. Despite what most of this post may make you think, some of these women will get their abortions.

I speak to women who have been trying to get their abortions for a while. These are typical cases of rescheduling and rescheduling because she couldn’t get a ride, or she couldn’t get her money, etc. These women rely on abortion funds. Abortion funds are small; they have so little to work with and so many calling them for money.

It was brought up that we might use this blog as a venue to talk about all those out there, fellow abortioneers, fellow warriors in the fight for reproductive rights and justice. I want to take this opportunity to spotlight a fund I have come to rely on for cases like the woman above. The Third Wave Foundation is an organization that works specifically to support the rights of young women and transgender youth, ages 15-30. They do many things, and part of what they do is operate a small abortion fund to help women under 30. They do amazing work, and I want to encourage anyone out there who might see this to help support them and the women they seek to assist.