My name is Kaycee and I stand here with an appeal that is deeply personal to me. I bear a past marked by the trauma of parental drug addiction, abuse, neglect, and the pains of bouncing between ill-managed foster homes. The health and mental scars I suffered then continue to haunt my siblings and I to this day, a direct outcome of being born into a life we had no choice over. Now, with the ban on abortion in Tennessee, I fear thousands of children being forced into a similar narrative. Further still, countless girls and women might have parenthood thrusted upon them as the result of a heinous crime - sexual assault. Also, the ban puts women's lives in peril as medical professionals become cautious about administering life-saving interventions which could, under the ban, be classified as abortions. The time to act is now.

In the United States, almost 70,000 women die annually from complications due to unsafe abortions (World Health Organization). Denying a woman her right to abortion does not stop her from seeking one; it simply pushes her towards unsafe methods. restrictions or bans on abortions lead to an increase in the number of unsafe abortions (Guttmacher Institute). The state of Tennessee needs to prioritize the health and safety of women instead of eroding their rights.

We are calling on lawmakers to relegalize abortion in Tennessee. This isn't just about choice—it's about protecting women, children, victims of sexual assault from mental and physical trauma. Stand with me and thousands of others as we seek this important change. Sign the petition today.