Advocacy Day is next month. This is something I want to do so badly, but I don't know if I can do it. I'm not a blogger with a large following. I'm not a high powered or high profile person. I'm an administrative assistant. I live in a state where I'm lucky to get testing covered under insurance. It will even cover drugs or surgery to fix infertility problems. But it doesn't cover IUIs, IVF, or any drugs associated with IVF. This is why I want to go and have my voice heard. States right next to me cover both IVF and IUIs completely.
I want to be my own advocate. I want my voice to be heard. But my fear is that the legislators for my state won't listen. What if I'm not good enough for them to care? What if they really and truly don't ever care about the Family Building Act or infertility? What if we are never recognized?
So this is my conundrum. If you have gone to Advocacy Day before, how did you feel both while speaking with the legislators and after? Did it help any in your home state? Please tell me about your experiences.
An Infertility/Loss Essay
6 hours ago
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2 comments:
over from iclw. i've gone to the same type of event, an advocacy day, but a different cause and different organization. and it was one of the coolest things i've ever done. it is so empowering to have the change to talk with your legislators and/or staffers about something that is so important to you. i would highly encourage you to jump in! yes, it a bit overwhelming, but as someone told me--i am the expert about my issue, not the offices i spoke with. i was always greeted with kindness, listened to well and each person i spoke with (i did this five times over two years) at least faked interest well! :)
oh and yes...my one voice did make a difference b/c i took the time to educate them and tell my story. putting a face and story to an issue does make a difference. some who hadn't support or known of my issue before became supporters. sure that doesn't happen every time, but you never know :)
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