To the editor:

I have dreamed of being a Mom since I was 15 years old. When I was 31, my husband and I were thrilled to learn that we were going to have a baby. We were excited to be new parents; we’d waited so long, and it finally happened. I was anxious that it might be a false positive, so I took the pregnancy test five times, just to be sure. Seven weeks past my last period things took a turn; I was in pain, and I started bleeding. When the pain became unbearable, in the middle of the night, we went to the ER. An ultrasound was done, and bad news was written all over the technician’s face. My heart sank. I was scared and heartbroken. The doctor confirmed that my pregnancy was ectopic. Something had to be done, and fast. Surgery was the only option. After surgery, the doctor told me that I had already started to bleed internally into my stomach; if I’d waited longer, I could have died. Years later after failed IVF treatments, my husband and I adopted our baby girl from China and later we adopted our son from Russia.

Words cannot express how much we love our children — they are blessings from God. I am thinking of them now as I write this letter. I want my children to have the same excellent healthcare that I had. I don’t want my daughter to be faced with a heartbreaking critical medical need that she’s unable to get because medical staff is afraid of going to jail. This scenario doesn’t bear thinking about; it’s terrifying.

Government should not be involved in healthcare decisions for women. These choices must be made by the woman, her family, and her medical team. It’s hard enough to lose a much-wanted baby, but to also face possible arrest, fleeing the state or worse, dying? That’s too much!

Sen. Rick Scott is up for re-election in Florida — he wants a nationwide ban on all abortion. Let’s send a clear message that legislators need to get out of women’s uteruses and get back doing the people’s work they were sent to do. VOTE Scott OUT.

Vote for Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for Senate in November.

Janine Mohl

Cape Coral