Letters

To all the ladies at Dr. Cousins,

And I'm sure there have been many who have walked into this office with far worse situations than mine. And I'm sure you have seen many that merely disregard her pregnancy as something insignificant in her life... And I'm sure you have seen many like myself. Totally devastated by the path her life has suddenly taken; totally mortified by the choice she has been presented with, but at the same time, totally and most humbly grateful that there is a choice.

I just wanted to let all of you know that your kindness, open hearts, sense of humor, and gentle touch has not gone unnoticed. I appreciate the comfortable environment you provided for me in a very uncomfortable situation. Although I am truly blessed, I am determined never to enter this office again, except maybe to support a friend, And although I don't remember many names:

To the lady who is "helper of mankind", thank you for your sincerity.

To the lady with the little box, thank you for taking the pain away as much as possible.

To the lady who held my hand when I passed out, thank you for truly worrying. I saw it in your eyes that you had compassion.

And last, but definitely not least, to the doctor, thank you for your sense of humor and most of all, for providing a refuge for the lost souls distracted for the time being, from their path.

And so it goes, we imagine our life to be a certain way. We have dreams and sometimes life gives us what we need and not what we want. To remind us that our dreams are worth fighting for. --laurie

Dear Dr. Cousins,

I simply cannot put into words how much I admire the compassion that was shown to me by yourself and your staff. I cannot imagine the adversity you face due to all of the controversy about abortion, and yet you still continue to help women like myself to get through a difficult time. Women in this position, as I was, are scared, and also, like myself, very alone. I am disappointed in the fact that there are still so many people who believe that abortion should not be a woman's choice. I just wanted to say how much it helped me to be surrounded by support rather than judgment. I am only 20 years old but have had to take care of myself for a very long time and having your help and the help of the nurses and counselor really helped me. It was a difficult choice for me to make but I am confident that it was the right one. Again thank you very much and I hope you continue to help women make these difficult choices for a long time. Thanks. Nicole

 To Dr. Cousins and her wonderful staff,

I would just like to take a moment to thank you all for working together so well. Each of you contributes positively to the other complimenting each others job.  You are an amazing team and I am grateful for the roles you all played in making a very difficult decision as comfortable as possible.

While I'm sure not everyone eats a million cookies and chats about their children throughout the experience with you, I'm sure there's a sense of comfort and gratitude in all your clients at some level due to the commitment and quality of practice. Thank you. --Erica 

Dr. Cousins and Staff, 

I'm sure you hear this a lot, but I want you all to know that your amazing. Thank you for doing what you do/ My life wouldn't be the same if you guys weren't around. Thanks for all your support.

--Kody 

"I just wanted to say Thank You for being so gentle and so caring towards me when I was definitely at my worst. You all helped to make what I thought was the worst time of my life…bearable. I left there feeling the way I hope I make my patients feel, and I hope you realize how important and amazing it is, what you do! I can’t say it enough, Thank you!"

To: Dr. Cousins, the blonde medicine lady, the nurse in the surgery room, and the recovery room nurse:

"I just really wanted to thank you for being so nice. I've never been treated so kindly in any public setting as I very unexpectedly was as a patient of yours. I was there last Wednesday. Instead of treating me like a monster—as I felt—you all were so kind and understanding that I just really felt it necessary to thank you. I think it's important that you know that in such a traumatic and painful day I walked in feeling as I would hate myself forever and I really feel if it weren’t for you ladies I might have. But you 4 ladies made me so comfortable and were so nice that it helped me be comfortable with myself and my decision. Thank you so much. Obviously I will never forget that day. But I also will never forget your kindness." --Colleen

"Thank you so much for the outstanding care and respect I was given today. Everyone made me feel at ease and comfortable. I certainly made the right decision in choosing your office to help me through this unexpected situation. I appreciate your professionalism and compassion." --Katharine

"I want to thank you for being so kind to me and my “support group” and for all your patience in answering my questions and addressing my concerns during and after the procedure. As you are obviously aware, having an abortion is a very emotional experience. I want you all to know that your efforts in providing detailed information, physical care and emotional care have truly and positively affected my experience and therefore have made a difference in my life. I am so thankful for all you did for me, as well as for countless others, which will benefit us all as a community and society." --Alana

"My daughter was a patient at your clinic this week and I wanted to thank you for the kind and thoughtful way she was treated by you and your entire staff. I think so often you are criticized for the type of services you provide but because of the support she received from all of you, as well as her family, she came away even more assured that she had made the right decision." --Lucy

"I want to thank you so much for the support you gave me through my recent abortion at your office. I am sure everyone that comes through there is very frightened, but between the nurse and Dr. Cousins, all my fears disappeared. You were supportive and made great conversation to help me through. I want to thank you a lot for helping me through a difficult time and to let you know that your support really does mean a lot. I hope every patient appreciates you as much as I did. Thanks" --Cindy

"You guys are all wonderful. You've helped me through so much! I appreciate everything you've done. Giving me courage, secureness, happiness, and good feelings. Thank you so much" --Jennifer

"I wanted to express my gratitude in writing to you and your staff after my recent visit there. As you know, the women who come to your office are in a difficult situation. From the minute I gave my name to Alex until the time I left, I felt nothing but support from everyone. The procedure and all the steps before it were thoroughly explained. And afterwards, all the information and aftercare instructions were immensely helpful. (The cookies were great too!)"

"The whole process is so well organized and executed that a potentially negative experience is turned into a positive one. I am enclosing a donation to your STWS Pro-Choice Action Fund because I strongly believe that every woman should have a choice and that you have women's best interests at heart. Thank you so much for being there for me. I am eternally grateful." --Deborah

"With sincere thanks for your kindness. It was appreciated more than words can say.’ I looked for just the right card to tell all the ladies who were so nice and understanding. This was the best. I cannot tell you how nice it was to have people understand how much I am afraid of needles. Thanks you for understanding and taking such good care of me." --Corinna

"I want to say that Dr. Cousins is an excellent doctor. I literally felt no pain during the procedure. She made an uncomfortable experience so much easier. She is great... "  --Amy

"I am writing you in order to express the long-term gratitude I feel toward all of you who helped me through the most difficult day of my life. I have been thinking a lot lately about the wonderful women I met that day and how the upcoming elections may negatively effect the supportive environment you have all worked so hard to achieve. I just wanted to send my prayer directly to those who influence it . Please, do not give up. My life has been forever changed by the six hours I spent with you that day....I dropped out of a school that was not the place I was meant to be, moved home, broke up with my boyfriend, worked different jobs, traveled, and finally took the time I needed for myself. I decided that if I had made the choice I did, then I owed it to myself, to you, to go out and live my life as fully as I could and never again compromise the things I know I need for me...."

"My life is finally my own and I owe so much of that to you. My abortion was the most painful experience of my life but now I realize, two years down the road, that the pain I felt was a wake up call to my spirit. I have learned how strong I am through the long difficult nights I've spent alone and have discovered the value of my own company. I could go on forever, but mainly, I want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you all so very very much. Don't give up the fight... I am fighting with you." --Meghan "I wanted to thank you for your generous support in a difficult time. The staff (all of them) was very kind and responsive to my problems, and I congratulate everyone on a great attitude and sympathetic understanding to me. ...Thanks for not seeing me as just a patient but making me feel like a friend." --Kristina

"Just a short note to say "Thank You" for your professional yet compassionate care. You certainly do everything possible to make the best of an unpleasant situation. When I look at my happy, healthy, 4 month old daughter I know that we made the right decision in not having another baby right now." --Donna "...I am pro-choice in my political beliefs, I just know I made the wrong choice. I knew what I wanted, and allowed myself to be talked out of it. Do I blame anyone? YES, I blame everyone, but in the end I come back to the same thought: It was me. I allowed this to happen to me. And now I have to find a way to live with that. ....the only thought I have is a simple request. Someone there, anyone, ask a simple question to your patients, please: Are you sure?"

Note: This woman regretted her decision and we include it as a reminder that each woman has to make a decision she can live with. We can offer some assistance in decision-making to each patient, but please be honest about any uncertainty you have before the procedure.

"I'd like to thank you for all of your kindness, patience, understanding, and most of all, for caring. Your staff took the time to explain and make me understand every part of my visit. I have never met such a caring group of professionals gathered in one place. Everyone at your office made the visit easier and most of all, understanding me and treating me as a whole person not an "appt". And I mean everyone!! From Barb, who answered endless questions several times on the phone, always making time for me, and helping me through aftercare. And the Phlebotomy girls who were the most gentle girls I've met, and never hurt me. The ultrasound girl who was very kind, but the counseling part of my visit was so important, this wonderful woman who took her time with me, never rushing to get to the next patient. And most of all, Dr. Cousins, and the nurse who gave me 3 things that got me through this difficult time--Information, Comfort, and most of all Truthfulness. Thank you! Your staff is truly special." --Jacqueline

To Dr. Cousins and her wonderful staff:

"Thank you for your exceptional kindness and support. It was greatly appreciated during such an ordeal. I couldn’t have asked for a better group! You are all role models for the Pro-Choice movement." --Tammy