Many years ago, my sister and I both had abortions. Hers was before Roe v. Wade. Mine was after.

She had what we called a “back alley” abortion. She developed an infection afterward but avoided going in for medical care because what she had done was illegal. By the time she had no choice, damage was done to her organs and she was in terrible pain. She was prescribed narcotics. Driving home from college for Christmas, with narcotics on board, she fell asleep at the wheel and caused a car accident that killed her and two other people.

Three years later, I became pregnant in spite of an IUD. I had just moved to another state to begin my career and chose to have a safe, legal abortion. I went on to have two children of my own and adopt two children.

So, making abortion illegal again is “pro-life?” To me it sounds like pro-death.

Mary Callahan
Lisbon

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