One of the patients I will never forget ended up being one of the most persistent patients I ever worked with.
It was a long road for this woman to get an abortion. This of course was due to her never having enough money for her abortion, so she had to keep rescheduling – something I talk about all too often on this blog. She ended up having to go out of state for her abortion because she had gotten too far along to stay where she lived. I remember that she called me about 5pm, maybe a little after, the evening before her appointment. She wanted help calling funds. I told her that I wouldn’t be able to get ahold of anyone so late in the day, and I knew I couldn’t stay that evening to wait around to hear back from anyone. She was persistent though, and armed with all of the numbers to funds, she made the calls herself that evening. She ended up getting quite a bit for funding from local funds and was able to get a discount from the clinic for what she wasn’t able to come up with and get funded. She got her abortion.
This woman was rewarded for her persistence. She ended up being a good advocate for herself. One of the saddest things is talking to women who can’t do that. Maybe they don’t know how, maybe they don’t have the time. When I give women numbers to funds, I often have to coach them on how to get through. I urge them to be persistent because I know it will pay off.
It shouldn’t be this hard. You shouldn’t have to sit and redial over and over to get healthcare. You shouldn’t have to beg. You shouldn’t have to get angry. It shouldn’t be this hard, but it is. Until we get real healthcare in this country, it will continue to be hard. With no light at the end of the tunnel, I implore all of you, who are able to do something to please donate to a local abortion fund. Visit the National Network of Abortion Funds to find a local fund in your area.
0 comments:
Post a Comment