John – I was born in a time when abortion was illegal. But no one has been born in a time when abortions didn't happen.

Despite the intricate web of bans across America that had been spun over the decades before, thousands of women still sought abortions every year. But, instead of receiving the care they needed in an exam room, they were forced to turn to dangerous, unregulated procedures or self-administered efforts, often in moments of desperation. Safer abortions under the supervision of a doctor were limited to the wealthiest women who had the connections and resources required – but even they were forced into secrecy.

As a nurse and a mother, I understand that abortion can be genuinely lifesaving – but in the world I grew up in, it could also be deadly.

That's why Roe v. Wade was so transformative – it gave us all the freedom to safely and independently make choices about our futures, our bodies, and our health without interference or mandated bans from political leaders. It's impossible to count the number of lives saved by that single ruling.

For decades, I felt confident that my kids and my grandkids would grow up with more rights and freedoms than I did. But now the dangerous, radical decision by this Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade has set our country back decades, undermined the will of the American people, and put every single right that we care about at risk.

In the wake of this ruling, my opponent Eric Schmitt made Missouri the first state to enact a so-called trigger ban. Under this law, abortions at ANY stage of pregnancy are banned – and performing an abortion is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. We're seeing laws like this pop up all across the country, and they're getting increasingly extreme. Far-right legislators here even tried to ban people leaving Missouri from getting an abortion elsewhere.

I refuse to sit idly by as I watch my state and my country go backward. That's why I'm working my heart out to defeat Eric Schmitt and stop him from taking his far-right ideology to the U.S. Senate. You have my word on this: If you send me to Washington, I will proudly be the vote that we need to codify abortion access into law once and for all.

We're in the fight of our lives here, John. If you're willing to fight with me, will you make a $5 donation to help me flip Missouri blue and ensure that future generations have the freedom to choose? With the election just around the corner and so much on the line, I'm really counting on you.

With gratitude,

Trudy