On the recordJanuary 23, 2024
Mr. President, I rise to tell you the story of one of my constituents named Hannah. When faced with an unplanned pregnancy, Hannah chose life for her baby with the help of a pregnancy center. Despite coming from a long line of single mothers and from a family background plagued with alcoholism, drugs, and dysfunction, Hannah was able to overcome her circumstances and create a better life for herself and her daughter. At 18 years old, Hannah learned she was pregnant. Her child's father drained her savings and spent it on drug abuse. Disgusted, alone, and hopeless just weeks into her pregnancy, Hannah went to her local pregnancy center, Women's Resource Center in Gulfport, MS, where she began to receive weekly parenting classes. In November 2014, Hannah gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Ava, a name which means ``life.'' As a single mother, bringing a child into her circumstances was not easy, and Hannah struggled to overcome severe postpartum depression in the early months after the birth of her daughter. When she turned 21, Hannah got a job at a casino--an answer to her prayers. This job gave her a sense of pride and independence. When Ava turned 3, Hannah met Nuno, the love of her life, and together they welcomed another daughter, Maisy. After Hannah and Nuno got married in 2020, Nuno legally adopted Ava before she started kindergarten, stepping in to be the father she never had before.…
Source
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