I live in Ferndale. I don’t know Dr. Nusslock, but I’m so sorry for what she’s gone through. Her story opened my eyes to how my own St. Joe’s story could have turned out differently.

I had a D&C there in April because a very wanted pregnancy ended on its own at 7 weeks and had not passed out of my body by 11 weeks. Let’s imagine my body’s process had gone just a tiny bit differently. Let’s say the fetus wasn’t going to survive but hadn’t died yet. Let’s say I was bleeding, as happened in my last pregnancy with my daughter, who’s now two. According to this lawsuit, the hospital might have told me to:

1. Try to get myself to San Francisco, if it’s not too foggy to fly; pay out of pocket; and maybe die on the way. Or,
2. Get a bucket for the car and get myself to the Arcata hospital.

None of us — urban, rural, rich, middle-class, poor — deserve this indignity. Dr. Nusslock’s story shows that we - women and our loved ones - are not safe, even in a blue state. Stories like hers are being reported all across the U.S. since the fall of Roe v Wade under Donald Trump’s hand-picked Supreme Court.

This is why I believe we have to fight as hard as possible for better policies before and after the election — so that this doesn’t become our kids’ future. It doesn’t have to be this way. (If you’re not sure where to start, check out votesaveamerica.com.) The doctors and nurses who cared for me at St. Joe’s were compassionate and competent. The hospital policy, as alleged in the lawsuit, is wrong. All across the U.S., policymakers who want to control women’s bodies this way are growing more emboldened by the Republican party (which, by the way, also wants to replace Affordable Care Act’s protections with unspecified “concepts of a plan”). Please share these stories with anyone, in any state, who needs convincing. I know so many of you have your own stories too.

I see Trump/Vance signs at houses in Humboldt County and I wonder, would those people really accept me bleeding out and leaving my daughter motherless? Is that what “pro-life” means to you? What are we even doing here?

I’m not very comfortable sharing my story. I’d rather not have to. I’ve just started my own company and I’m risking loss of potential business.

But I’m angry and baffled. And the stakes are too high. Thank you, Dr. Nusslock and Atorney General Rob Bonta, for courageously trying to right this wrong at St. Joseph’s.

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Ellie Titus lives in Ferndale, and is collecting stories of people who went through experiences like this at St. Joe’s. If you want to share your story, do it at this link.