'I am thankful for the freedom of self': Women express gratitude for their abortions in piece posted on Thanksgiving

In a piece posted by The Nation on Thanksgiving, several women indicated that they were thankful they had abortions.

"I am grateful to have accessed my abortions in Texas while it was still legal in the state, and that my multiple abortion experiences now guide my work," Nikiya Natale wrote in the piece. "But I am thankful for both of my abortions. I am thankful that I didn't want to be a parent then, so I didn’t have to be a parent then. The blessing to plan a pregnancy and have a child when I wanted to have a child is something I have immense gratitude for. I really am thankful for it, particularly in this political climate and moment."

Natale is the deputy director of the pro-choice organization We Testify, according to the group's website.

Savannah Williams, who is listed on organization's website as the operations coordinator, celebrated that terminating pregnancies had allowed her to complete college and start a business free from the worries of providing for and caring for kids.

"When I think about how far I've come and the things I've been able to do—such as finishing college and starting my small business—I am grateful that I was able to do them without having to worry about making ends meet and struggling to care for two small children whom I wasn't ready for. I am thankful for the freedom of self. Some people may call this selfish, but I don't think it is. I am able to care for myself and live free from anxiety and parts of my life that I have needed to leave behind. I have deep gratitude that I was able to make a decision that was good for me," Williams noted.

Kenya Martin, who is listed as program manager on the We Testify website, indicated that she is "thankful ... for each abortion" she has had.

"In 2015, I sat in my local abortion clinic filling out my paperwork. This wasn't my first abortion, but things took a turn for the worst when I suddenly became very sick and had difficulty formulating a sentence. I was experiencing an ectopic pregnancy; I was bleeding internally because of a ruptured fallopian tube and needed emergency surgery," Martin noted.

"An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus," according to the Mayo Clinic. "An ectopic pregnancy can't proceed normally. The fertilized egg can't survive, and the growing tissue may cause life-threatening bleeding, if left untreated."