Casey's Story

I was 12 years old when I had my first experience with abortion. It wasn't mine. My best friend was at the clinic to abort her grandfather's child. She had been raped and the doctors knew she wasn't mentally or physically capable of carrying the child to term. She wanted me there and the adults of our families believed I was mature enough to handle being her support.

Maybe you wonder how any adult could allow their child to witness an abortion at such a tender age. Let me qualify by telling you that by the time the adults of her family were willing to sign the paperwork to allow the abortion, my friend had already tried swallowing a bottle of aspirin (the bottle said too much could cause miscarriage) and a week later had attempted to use a folded up hanger in a self abortion attempt. In both incidences, I was the one that found her and I was the one that took care of her and kept her alive.

From that time forward, I knew that it was a woman's right to control her own body. In fact, I learned that a desperate woman will do whatever necessary to take control of her body, even if it means pain and death. No law can keep a desperate woman from acting, but a law can make the choice safer and not so life threatening.

It has been 12 years since I witnessed my first abortion. Since that time, I have supported friends through 15 abortions and 10 adoptions. I have never personally had to make a choice but I am thankful that females in this country have the right to choose.

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