I’ve always been a hard-working person; my parents, a public school teacher and self-employed general contractor, instilled in me a work ethic that is essential to my very being. As a result, at very few points in my adult life have I found myself with just one job. In my twenties, I worked full-time at a public relations firm and later as a full-time contractor for state government. I worked in one of Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s cabinet agencies, while spending several hours a week doing public television production on the side. It was a 40-hours-per-week position in public service that came without health benefits. In my thirties, I worked full-time for an association and spent my evenings and weekends helping an acquaintance launch a small business, first as a volunteer and later as an employee.

When I left my full-time job as a communications director for a professional association to spend 60 hours a week helping the small business get off the ground, I again found myself without insurance. While I was making just enough money to pay my bills, I had great difficulty covering large and unforeseen incidentals. Despite my best efforts, it was impossible to find a local ob/gyn who would see me without insurance, much less charge an even remotely affordable rate for basic services like well-woman exams, cancer screenings, and birth control prescriptions.

So, off to Planned Parenthood I went for my annual exams and birth control pills. They were my saving grace in those years–an organization I knew I could rely on for my health education and preventive care. The staff and physicians were always professional and warm, answering any questions I had, and making sure I received the screenings and tests necessary to ensure my own good health. I owe them a debt of gratitude for giving me the freedom to remain healthy (not to mention feel respected and supported) as I did my part to continue my parents’ tradition of putting one’s own work ethic to good use, helping to bring a small business into the world.

In those years, I learned how to be a leader, a mentor and, ultimately, a sole proprietor myself. Today, I own my own small business, built on the experiences I was able to absorb throughout my 15-year career in both the public and private sectors. If I choose to become a mother, I’ll do it on my own terms, not because of bad circumstances and a lack of resources.

If I have concerns about my health, whether it’s a cancer scare or a common issue like fibroids or a simple infection, it’s my right to seek quality care from professionals who can provide the services I need at a cost I can afford. I firmly believe every woman in the world deserves the same freedom of choice, beginning always with access to basic services.

I honestly don’t know what I would have done without Planned Parenthood, and I fully support them in their mission to educate and care for women, protecting our right to quality health care and providing a resource that helps us shape our lives the way we WANT them to be shaped, not by anyone else’s design or at anyone else’s whim.