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

Before Roe v. Wade, women were forced to seek the care they needed not in an exam room, but through dangerous, unregulated procedures or self-administered efforts, often in moments of desperation. As a nurse and a mother, I understand more than most 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. But now the dangerous, radical decision by this Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade has set our country back decades.

And 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, performing an abortion at ANY stage of pregnancy is a felony – and this is only just the start.

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 work 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 8 days away and so much on the line, I'm really counting on you.

With gratitude,

Trudy