My name is Theresa Ingram.

I never imagined I would become an advocate.

Like thousands of women across America, I trusted my doctors and chose the ESSURE permanent birth control device believing it was safe.

Years later, my life changed.

I endured surgeries, chronic illness, and years searching for answers. During that journey, I met countless other women whose stories sounded just like mine. Many of us were told the same heartbreaking words:

“It’s too late.”

Not because we didn’t care.

Not because we waited.

But because we didn’t know.

Many medical device injuries are not immediately recognized. Patients often spend years searching for answers before they or their doctors suspect a possible connection to an implanted device. By then, many discover that the legal deadline to pursue a claim has already passed.

That should change.

I am asking Congress to protect patients by recognizing that some injuries are only discovered years later.

We ask Congress to:

• Create federal protections so that, in appropriate cases, legal deadlines for medical device injuries can begin when a patient reasonably discovers a possible connection between the injury and the device, rather than automatically on the date of implantation.

• Strengthen informed consent so patients receive clear information about known risks and the importance of long-term follow-up.

• Improve long-term monitoring and transparency for implanted medical devices

Why “Theresa’s Promise”?

Because I made myself a promise.

That everything I have lived through would mean something.

That no woman would ever feel as alone as I once did.

That I would keep speaking for those who have lost hope, those who are still searching for answers, and those who have not yet realized they are not alone.

This is bigger than me.

This is a promise to every patient who deserves to be heard.

Please sign this petition. Share it with your family, your friends, and your lawmakers.

Together, we can help ensure that justice is still possible when the truth takes years to uncover.

Justice doesn’t expire.

Neither should a patient’s right to be heard.

— Theresa Ingram

Founder, Where is ESSURE now?