Meet Liz – she’s a manager at a Whole Woman’s Health (WWH) clinic and has been a part of the team for 8 years. She’s also a soon-to-be mom of two and has had two abortions. As Liz shares, “having my abortions have made me a better mother.” She isn’t alone. Many of our patients feel the same way – some are already mothers and know what’s best for their family and others know that the time just isn’t right to start one. For Mother’s Day (or however you identify!), we celebrate and honor them through Liz’s story.
Liz and her now husband started dating in 2012, and she became pregnant not long after. She knew she wanted an abortion. She grew up with religious parents who were strictly against abortion and even protested from time-to-time.
Liz knew nothing about abortion and was scared to even search the internet for fear of her parents finding out. She went to a clinic in Dallas for an aspiration abortion and has never doubted that it was right decision for her and her partner.
A year later, she and her partner had another unplanned pregnancy, and felt the calling to keep it. The freedom to choose when and how to build their family spurred their interest in pursuing abortion care as careers. In fact, her partner applied for a Patient Advocate position at WWH of Fort Worth while she was still pregnant and got the job. Liz joined the team two years later.
Liz grew within WWH and became a clinic manager in 2020, just as COVID-19 was starting to tear through the U.S. Before a vaccine was available, little was known about the impact of the virus on a pregnant person or a fetus. So when she found out she was pregnant, Liz was full of fear at the thought of bringing a baby into a dangerous situation. She had a medication abortion at the WWH clinic she worked for, and felt tremendous support from her peers. Yet Liz felt shame and guilt for not having a “good reason” to have an abortion, even though she had told so many patients that any reason is GOOD, ENOUGH, and VALID.
Now, four years later, she found herself pregnant again, and her and her partner decided it’s what they wanted for their family. Liz is due in September and her first child is eager to become a big brother.
Throughout her abortions and pregnancies, she’s experienced just how much judgment is placed on mothers. It’s easy for that judgment to be internalized.
But only Liz knows what’s best for her body, her family, and her future. As she explains, “choosing to have an abortion is a mother’s decision. It made me a better mother getting to decide what was right for our family.”
So, to all the parents who started their families on their own terms, we honor you today and every day.
