Just a few weeks into my new job in Indiana, I saw a twenty-three-year-old mother of a nine-month-old baby girl. She just recently was able to leave her abusive partner and is now staying with her mom. She finally felt like she would be able to take care of her baby girl and provide her the life she deserves.

And then she found out she was pregnant. At her first ultrasound, she was already 20 weeks pregnant, and they found that the baby had anencephaly, a condition where the brain does not develop. She was told the news at a Catholic hospital, where they told her she had no other option in Indiana except to continue the pregnancy, but that she could travel to Illinois if she wanted to. She had no way to get to Illinois, as she had no car and no money to travel since she had lost her job when she moved away from her abusive partner.

Thankfully, she found out about our services on her own and was able to get to Indianapolis. She is so traumatized from the entire experience, and she just wants to get back to focusing on her daughter and providing her the love and support she needs.

A 20-week abortion ban would force her to continue a pregnancy that will never survive, force her to continue a pregnancy from an abusive partner, and force her life to be put at risk from a potentially risky pregnancy.

A 20-week abortion ban would mean she would not be able to focus on supporting her nine-month-old daughter and rebuilding her life after years of abuse.