This mother's day, I donated to Planned Parenthood in honor of my mom and sis because:

[ehrnst]

When I was not long out of grad school I made the responsible decision to pay my student loans instead of getting health insurance. I was young, and had a medical rider on my car insurance, thinking if I required major medical care, it would be because of a car accident.

Planned Parenthood was my primary care physician during those years. They required that I come in for a pelvic every 6 months in order to renew my prescription for contraceptives.

One of those exams revealed severely precancerous cells. They did the further testing, and subsequent cold knife cone biopsy. I had follow up with them every 3 months and had one more cold knife procedure.

I was able to afford it only at PP, because my adjunct faculty teaching position, and two part time jobs didn't give me any benefits.

So, I didn't get cancer, didn't have to get a hysterectomy, or die, because I was able to go to PP.

I am alive and have a beautiful 8 year old son, born when I was 40, because PLANNED PARENTHOOD had funding that allowed me to get the screening and treatment in time.

To those people that think only of abortion when they hear Planned Parenthood, I can only say that I am alive, fertile and have a son because of Planned Parenthood.

Do they think that me and my son don't deserve to be alive?

That is why I donated to PP for mother's day.