As residents of Pennsylvania, I’m sure you keep hearing the stakes of this election could not be higher. Forgive me, but I’m going to make a similar appeal, because I don’t want my reality to become yours. My story will illustrate why.
Last year, my husband and I were elated when we had a positive at-home pregnancy test. During our first ultrasound visit, we discovered I was pregnant with twins.
To be honest, I was scared. As I lay there, I worried about what this meant for my health and the pregnancy. I’m not a medical professional, but I knew that at 37 years-old I had a higher risk of serious complications, especially with twins.
Weeks later, we found out one of the twins had a fatal diagnosis, full Trisomy 18. A majority of babies with this diagnosis are stillborn or die shortly after birth. Even worse, it meant an increased risk of adverse outcomes not just for me, but for the healthy twin. Our only option was abortion, done as a careful reduction of the pregnancy.
But because I live in Texas, my doctors were prohibited by law from providing me with the care the healthy twin and I needed. So, my husband and I flew to Colorado. I’m eternally grateful for the care I received there. Because of it, in May, I gave birth to my son, who, together with our daughter, is now the center of our world.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe in 2022, millions of women across the country have been denied this care. Almost a third of women of reproductive age in the U.S. are now banned or severely restricted from accessing abortion in their home states. Because of this, women are dying, becoming infertile, watching their babies die, and spending money they don’t have to get the care they desperately need. It’s hard to imagine, but it can and will get worse—including for Pennsylvanians—if we don’t act.
Former President Trump’s track record indicates he will support further restrictions on abortion. He may have recently flip-flopped on whether he would veto an abortion ban, but that is likely a convenient political lie. Mr. Trump celebrated when the Supreme Court reversed nearly fifty years of nation-wide abortion protections, a fate solidified by three justices he appointed. His about-face on varying abortion positions should lead us to conclude we cannot trust him and to expect a nation-wide ban.
Pennsylvanians, I know politics can be maddening, especially in recent years. But, as someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to have my life treated as meaningless in an abortion-ban state, I agree with those telling you that the reality of a Trump presidency is too grim to entertain.
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Right now, women like me, with the means to travel, are seeking abortions in states where protections still exist. In fact, in 2023, more than 170,000 women traveled out of state for abortion care. But if Trump becomes president again, no state will be safe, including yours. A national abortion ban means women will have to seek refuge for healthcare in other countries. Let me repeat that: a Trump presidency means U.S. women will have to leave the country in order to seek medical care. Most women won’t be able to do that, meaning many more will suffer, even die.
As voters in one of the most—if not the most— important swing states, you are uniquely empowered to make a difference. With your vote, you can tell your kids and grandkids that you not only protected the women you love and future generations of Pennsylvanians, but you also helped secure the protections of women and families across the United States.
The reality in Texas is dystopian—women are second-class citizens, with nearly 100 quietly leaving the state every day to get the care they need. Don’t let our nightmare become yours and the rest of the nation’s. I’m not asking you to love the candidates, but women need you. Let your love and respect for the women you know, along with those you don’t, drive you to vote for Vice President Harris. Our lives depend on it.
