Maryon York Hollis was 31 when she found out she was pregnant. The young woman was just recovering from a long drug addiction which, among other things, led her to lose custody of her first three children. With her partner, Chris Hollis, also a former drug addict, they were trying to build a stable life for their 3-month-old daughter. Maryon's pregnancy announcement came with the devastating news that the embryo was implanted in scar tissue from her recent caesarean section. She risked a fatal hemorrhage and the child not surviving an excessively premature birth.

However, abortion was not an option. In the state of Tennessee, it is illegal from the moment of fertilization, and no exceptions are made in cases of rape, incest or risk to the health of the pregnant woman and child. Paradoxically, this southern state, like the majority of states that have banned abortion, provides no support for parents. Parental leave is non-existent, federal disability benefits for the birth of a premature child are derisory and the conservative state also has one of the worst records in the country for maternal health and infant mortality.

Difficulties during childbirth

Tennessee, which has called into question Mayron's ability to care for her children, forced her to continue a pregnancy that endangered her life and, by extension, her fragile equilibrium. The difficulties began as soon as she gave birth. Elayna, just born, suffered from respiratory problems requiring intensive care. She was sent to a hospital in a neighboring county, where Maryon, then a construction worker, spent two months after intense days at work, forced to sleep in her car because she couldn't afford a hotel room.

It was then that her past caught up with her. A few days after her return from maternity leave, she was arrested for a case that state child protection officials had already closed. The couple spent all their savings on legal costs for the trial. And all this while Maryon was forced to quit her job to care for Elayna, whose condition requires full-time care.

Their debts were piling up exponentially and every month, Maryon and Chris fell behind on their rent and car payments. As credit offers started appearing in their mailboxes, the couple was eventually forced to take on loans with double-digit interest rates to finance their daily living.

Summer brought new difficulties. After losing their home, Maryon's divorced parents move into the already crowded house of the overburdened young parents. Despite their growing financial burden, the state was no help. According to the Sycamore research institute, Tennessee has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, partly because many eligible families don’t receive government aid. Additionally, the state's financial support is among the lowest nationwide.

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