When Abortion Is The Family Business
as the only medical care in many communities in the US, but as she is saying it, her voice still contains anger; she trails off sometimes, shaking her head in hurt and indignation.“I went home, almost hemorrhaged to death; I had to get a blood transfusion I lost so much blood; I had to get an emergency D&C,” referring to dilation and curettage, the procedure that removes the contents of the uterus after a miscarriage or abortion to help stop the bleeding and prevent infection.
“We started to notice that women keep coming to the clinic and saying they might have just enough money for this appointment, but they don’t have enough for another appointment,” Sarah told BuzzFeed News. The family receives child support, food stamps, and other financial assistance from the government to help Laurie take care of everyone while they all run the fund. To subsidize that and the inconsistent flow of donations, the whole family has various “side hustles,” Laurie said, like service industry work, selling jewelry on Etsy, selling candy, and doing yard work or maintenance jobs. So she understands her callers’ financial predicaments, because they are also hers.
“Nobody needs your white-savior shit on the day you’re about to have an abortion; no one needs your white advice,” Laurie continued. “No one needs your shit, Karen, or your potato salad with fucking raisins in it.”Laurie's son Ajani Jefferson in front of the headquarters for the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund.; let’s go,” mumbled Gbus, the driver and Laurie’s partner, whom some of the kids call their stepdad. Aolani, 16 , was already in the car with her earphones in, hugging a pillow.
“He’s a typical Southern older guy, abusive,” A. said whenever he came up. “He just refused to let me go. But he was never in the picture; we weren’t together.” And Laurie did. The fund doesn’t always cover the whole cost of the abortion as well as food and lodging. A.’s procedure cost about $2,000, and the housing and transportation for the two trips cost more than $800. But thanks to the recent uptick in donations, they had the money to cover it all.
Throughout the evening after the first appointment and the morning before the second, Sarah woke A. up at the necessary intervals to give her the scheduled medication and painkillers and to give her anything else that could help with the pain, like a sock filled with rice that could be microwaved into a heating pad.
At that point, Laurie was already involved in some political action volunteer work, but soon she became even more committed and ended up leaving school to focus on her activism. She started doing doula work for abortion and childbirth, joined the board of the ACLU, became a member of NOW in 2009, was made NOW Mississippi’s secretary in 2010, and then, two years later, became president of the chapter.
Sarah expressed the same sentiment in the car in Arkansas: “It can be hard, it can be stressful, but you’re helping people, you know?”Anti-abortion protesters stand near the entrance to the Little Rock Family Planning Services clinic. “It feels like 10 periods,” she moaned, doubled over as they drove to the clinic, her head resting on the back of Gbus’s seat, breathing heavily. “I feel like I’m dying.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Trump Administration Can't Block Undocumented Teens From Getting Abortions, A Federal Appeals Court Ruled'We cannot accept the suggestion that minors in ORR custody should be compelled to carry pregnancies to term against their wishes ... so that others will be deterred from desiring to come here.'
Read more »
Denying Women Abortions Can Cause Them Long-Term Health Problems, a New Study SaysThe study found that women who were denied access to an abortion reported higher rates of chronic diseases, persistent pain, and poor overall health.
Read more »
Women Are Judged More Than Men for Having a Messy House, Study ShowsOf course.
Read more »
South Carolina father who killed his 5 kids gets death sentenceThe mother of the children, his ex-wife Amber Kyzer, had asked the jury to spare his life Tuesday in the sentencing phase of his murder trial.
Read more »
'Spoiled Husband' Shirt Meant to Scare Off Other Women Is Getting Wives HeatedPeople are having some major opinions about a graphic tee made for 'spoiled husbands' has started to go viral.
Read more »
Family: Baby cut from slain Chicago woman's womb diesYovanny Jadiel Lopez died at Christ Medical Center in suburban Oak Lawn from a severe brain injury, according to a statement posted on Facebook by family spokeswoman Julie Contreras, who expressed 'great sadness' in announcing the baby's death. Family spokeswoman Cecilia Garcia confirmed
Read more »