195: Florida’s Abortion Law Almost Killed My Wife

This is the sixth story in a 7-part series in support of reproductive rights. On election day, Floridians will have the opportunity to vote Yes on 4  to get rid of a near-total abortion ban and reinstate the liberties under Roe v. Wade.  

The stories in the series were told live on stage in front of 400 people at Temple Beth Am in Miami, Florida on September 5th 2024. 

As the country gears up for the election on November 5, 2024, we will be sharing all seven stories one week at a time. These stories highlight what the current ban limits and excludes, and how this ban negatively impacts all women and families. We hope these stories will help you understand why keeping abortion legal (which means voting yes on amendment 4) is not only important but will also save lives. We know this sounds counter intuitive, but abortion saves lives. Click here to support Yes on 4 and please stay tuned.

Today’s story is by Derick Cook who describes his wife’s near-death experience when doctors sent her home after her water broke at 16 weeks. Derick’s wife should have gotten an abortion right away, but because her fetus still had cardiac activity and she wasn’t yet on the verge of death, her doctor was afraid to offer common-sense care. This story is tragic, but it has a happy ending.  

Derick Cook is a high school football champ, drummer, and guitar player. Because of what Derick’s wife went through, Derick has become an activist. He told us he wants to write a book. I hope he does. Find Derick on Facebook.

This event was produced and created by Writing Class Radio, Rabbi Greengrass at Temple Beth Am, and 19 collaborative partners: The Women’s Fund, Equal Justice Society, Cuban American Women Supporting Democracy, Men for Choice, Books and Books, Planned Parenthood, Temple Judea, Coral Gables United Church of Christ, Tikkun Olam at Temple Beth Am, Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition, Women’s Emergency Network, Sisterhood of Temple Beth Am, Catholics for Choice, Temple Israel, Women of Reform Judaism, RAC Florida, National Council of Jewish Women, The Workers Circle, and All Angels Episcopal Church.

Writing Class Radio is hosted by Allison Langer and Andrea Askowitz. Audio production by Matt Cundill, Evan Surminski, and Aidan Glassey at the Sound Off Media Company. Theme music is by Kenny Korade.

There’s more writing class on our website including stories we study, editing resources, video classes, writing retreats, and live online classes. Join our writing community by following us on .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}