Leah Willingham / AP
West Virginia's only abortion clinic raised $75,000 on one weekend to send patients out of state after the state put in place a total abortion ban, according to The Associated Press,
The Women's Health Center in West Virginia was forced to suspend procedures after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and West Virginia enforced a 19th-century law that banned abortions, per the AP. Abortion services only make up 40% of the clinic's revenue.
This was a massive blow to staff morale, according to the AP. After the decision was released, the clinic immediately called patients to cancel their abortion appointments.
"We came in Monday, and I was kind of like, 'OK, what do I do now?'" Kaylen Barker, who handles the clinic's public messaging told the AP. "It's somber to come back here and realize we're not going to be able to do the lifesaving care that people need and that we're going to have to refer them to websites. That's the best thing we can do right now."
The executive director of the clinic, Katie Quiñonez, told the AP, "Our staff needs space and time to process this very traumatic loss."
With 40% of the Women's Health Center's revenue gone, Quiñonez focuses on keeping the clinic open. According to AP, Quiñonez encourages residents to transfer their gynecological care to the clinic and adds new services, including hormone therapy and HIV prevention.
Before this year, the clinic's fund balance never surpassed $50,000, staff told the AP. Over the weekend, however, the clinics raised $75,000 through donations to their abortion fund. The staff will use the money raised to help send patients out of state to receive abortions.
"Yes, we are tired, we are devastated, we are angry," Quiñonez said. "But this is far from over. I want to reassure people that regardless of how hopeless and dark it feels right now, this isn't the end."
