Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal from Washington is a fierce civil rights activist. She is a most impressive person, with clear convictions and a breath of fresh air in her willingness to honestly reflect her life, and share her life, with the American people. She has been a harbinger of what the progressive movement hopes and dreams an elected official can be, and continues to show a courage most elected officials hide from. On Thursday, June 13, Rep. Jayapal had an opinion piece published in The New York Times, titled, “Rep. Pramila Jayapal: The Story of My Abortion.”
In it, Rep. Jayapal explains the difficulties of her first pregnancy, her son Janak was born very pre-mature, weighing 1 pound 14 ounces. As Jayapal explains, the physiological threat to Janak and herself was great, and with skilled professionals, both she and her son survived the ordeal. An ordeal that included months in the hospital and years of medical uncertainty for her son, and also years of undiagnosed postpartum depression and PTSD for Jayapal. As Rep. Jayapal notes, Janak just graduated college, and his enduring presence in her life, as all parents can understand, is the definition of a blessing.
The stresses that came from Rep. Jayapal’s pregnancy and motherhood factored in no small part into the dissolution of her first marriage, and those early years were ones she modestly explains were “rough years.” Still, persevere Jayapal and her son did, and the man she is now married to came into her life. While the two wanted to have more children together, their doctors explained that at that time, any pregnancy would come with very high risks, and so Jayapal and her husband took the necessary precautions of contraception. However, as can be the case with things that are not one hundred percent, Jayapal did become pregnant at one point. Jayapal had to make a choice and it was a choice that only she could have the final say in. Something her husband understood then, and I’m sure understands now.
The doctor who performed my abortion was incredible: extremely skilled, thoughtful, kind and compassionate. She knew and had seen, over and over again, what it took for women to make these choices. My husband, too, knew that it had to be my decision and offered only support and comfort through the most difficult moments.
Rep. Jayapal’s op-ed is required reading for those who need to read it. She is a brilliant writer able to convey a lot of emotion and thought into deceptively simple, straightforward prose. Her natural sense of inclusivity is unparalleled amongst many of her peers. I have met a few elected officials over the years but Rep. Jayapal is the only one I have met (not already campaigning) who struck me with not only the thought that they should be president some day, but the feeling that they will be president some day. The more I read about her and watch her I believe that she needs to be president some day for all of us.