Erika Christensen and Garin Marschall are patient advocates for access to abortion throughout pregnancy. In May of 2016, after finding out new information about their pregnancy, Erika was denied an abortion due to New York’s 24 week cut-off. The couple traveled to Colorado to terminate her pregnancy at 32 weeks.

While the law added a financial and emotional burden to an already tragic experience, traveling and paying for an abortion in another state is a luxury that many do not have.

Their experience with the NY’s abortion law, and the realization about how others were affected by it, led them to share their story and advocate for reform. They worked with a broad coalition of grassroots organizations, reproductive rights advocacy groups, and like-minded activists in the state.

RHAvote is a grassroots advocacy campaign they developed to raise awareness about New York State’s cruel and unconstitutional abortion law, and the people affected by it. Since passage of the RHA in 2019, they have dedicated themselves to patient-centered advocacy and strategy in an effort to remove the many barriers that people face when trying to access abortion care.