A Woman’s Choice of Danville is proud to stand with Virginians in this historic moment. Amendment 1 passes in the midterm election protecting every Virginian’s freedom to make personal decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, birth control, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care, and protects patients, doctors, and nurses from being punished for those decisions. We know what this victory means not only for Virginia, but for people across the Southeast who depend on Virginia for abortion care.

For us, this moment is also bittersweet. Two years ago, we poured our hearts into Florida’s Amendment 4 campaign. We organized, shared our stories, and fought alongside our communities. And even with a majority voting yes, we did not reach the 60% threshold needed to pass. We carry that heartbreak with us because we continue to see what it means for our patients every single day.

So when we see Virginia win, we feel it deep in our core. We see light. We feel hope. We see a glimpse of the future we have been fighting so hard for, a future where people can get the care they need, in their own communities, with dignity and support.

We operate clinics in states with bans intended to restrict care and take decisions out of our patients’ hands. We hear the fear, the frustration, and the exhaustion. We sit with people as they figure out how to travel, how to pay for care, and how to make it all work when it should never have been this hard.

That is why this victory means so much.

To everyone who organized, knocked on doors, shared their abortion stories, and voted: you helped make this possible. This is the power of the people when we come together and refuse to give up on one another.

Every day, we do hard things. Every day, we overcome. And today, we get to feel this joy. Let us revel in this victory and carry its hope into the work ahead.

Our fight is not over. We still have work to do in North Carolina and Florida. But today, Virginia is a beacon of hope, reminding us that change is possible and that the future we envision is worth every bit of this fight.

To our communities: we hear you. We see you. And we will keep fighting for you.