"Our Hysterectomies" is an eBook containing the illustrated first-person accounts of 16 women who have had hysterectomies, oophorectomies, myomectomies and more. The downloadable book contains animation, as well as printable DIY papercraft including reproductive system coloring book pages, pop-ups, and paper cuts.
Facts: According to the Centers for Disease Control, hysterectomy is the second most frequently performed surgical procedure for U.S. women who are of reproductive age. Approximately 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy and approximately 600,000 hysterectomies are performed each year. By the age of 60, more than 1/3 of all women have had a hysterectomy.
My Story: On March 14th, 2017, I underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy. The procedure was performed through open surgery and left behind a 6” vertical scar.
Upon waking up from surgery I felt surprisingly great. I hopped off the gurney and walked to my bed, ate two dinners, and walked laps around the ward. I am typically quite private on social media, but I decided to be open about this. Maybe it was the anesthesia, but I realized that I had the support of family, friends, three work communities, good health insurance, and extraordinary medical care — something many women don’t have. And so, in an uncharacteristic public political act, I posted an image of myself from the hospital.
The outpouring of support was overwhelming, and even more surprisingly, seventeen women I knew reached out to me to tell me that they themselves had been through this or were about to go through it. I was stunned.
This Campaign: All women need access to high quality affordable reproductive health care services. As a result, I am using the "Our Hysterectomies" eBook as a fundraising tool to increase awareness and support access to services. I have created this campaign to benefit Planned Parenthood.
Every donation to this campaign will receive a downloadable ePub or Interactive PDF copy of "Our Hysterectomies" as a reward.
The book is available in both ePub and Interactive PDF format and is accessible with VoiceOver.
CrowdRise does not sponsor, endorse or administer the Promotion.
