Growing up in a world without legal abortion and no contraceptives.

[Farmer-Rick]

23. My good friends' sister was really sick when we were in 10th grade

For weeks my friend worried if her sister would come out of the hospital alive.

Everytime I asked what was making the sister sick, she said she didn't know. The sister survived but she could never have children again.

I say again because 5 years later, I found out the sister had an illegal abortion by a local doctor who botched it. Everyone knew the doctor and no one held him accountable. Instead, they all blamed the sister. He continued to destroy women's lives for about 5 years.

He ended up eventually killing the daughter of a local cop and the cop sued him for every cent he had. The doctor stopped offering services after that.

We all knew this doctor was hurting women for years and only an angry, grieving father got him off the streets.

Then Row v Wade happened. It would be 10 years before abortion services were legally offered there, 10 years after Roe.