Ally Raskin, who has been a part of TFVC from our beginning in 2015, was asked to speak as an “Everyday American” at last week’s Midterm Convention in Dallas. We asked her to write an article outlining her experience. Here’s her story and speech:
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Sometimes you spend years fighting for something without ever knowing where that fight will take you.

Then, one Wednesday afternoon, the phone rings.

The Wednesday before the GOP Midterm Convention, I received a call from the Trump team asking me to speak at the Convention.

I was shocked.

Honored.

And, if I’m being completely honest, a little terrified.

Because they weren’t asking me to simply give a political speech.

They were asking me to tell my story.

The story of why I stopped voting Democrat.
The story of why I became deeply involved in the Republican Party.
And ultimately, the story of what made me realize that I could no longer sit on the sidelines.

For me, that story begins with medical freedom.

It begins with becoming a mother.

It begins with my first pregnancy and the questions I started asking about vaccines and informed consent.

And it becomes deeply personal when you have a child who is injured and you are left searching for answers.

That experience changed the trajectory of my life.

When I sent my first draft to the speechwriter, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I wondered whether there would be pushback on my personal story, my experience with my child, or my strong position on medical liberty.

Instead, the speechwriter loved it.

After a few small changes for timing and cadence, it was immediately approved.

No watering it down. No taking out the hard parts. No changing my story.

And suddenly, the woman who had spent nearly two decades talking to parents about vaccine choice and medical freedom was being given a microphone on a national political stage.

That moment wasn’t lost on me.

When Texans for Vaccine Choice first launched, I remember signing up immediately because I wanted to help in any way I could.

I didn’t know then where this issue would take me.

I certainly never imagined that one day I would be standing on a stage at a GOP Convention, telling thousands of people why medical freedom was one of the reasons I became politically engaged in the first place.

But there I was.

And the experience was incredible.

I was treated as a special guest, just like the other “Everyday Americans” who were invited to participate. But what meant even more to me was what happened afterward.

People came up to me.

They listened.

They shared their own stories.

They thanked me for saying out loud what they had experienced themselves.

And in those moments, I was reminded of why I started this fight in the first place.

This has never been about a political party for me.

It has been about parents.

It has been about informed consent.

It has been about the right to ask questions.

It has been about the right to make medical decisions for your own family without coercion.

And it has been about making sure that parents who raise their hands and say, “Wait. I have questions,” are actually heard.

After 19 years of being involved, I believe we are standing at a pivotal moment for medical liberty.

There is still an enormous amount of work to do.

But for the first time in a long time, I feel something I haven’t always felt in this fight:

Hope.

Hope that the voices of parents matter.

Hope that medical freedom can continue to gain ground.

And hope that maybe — just maybe — all those years of showing up, speaking out, making phone calls, signing petitions, volunteering, educating, and refusing to stay silent are finally making a difference.

I never set out to become a political activist.

I was just a mom who started asking questions.

And sometimes, one mom asking questions can change the entire direction of her life.

I’m incredibly grateful that I was given the opportunity to stand on that stage and tell the story of why I chose to get involved in the first place.

And I’m even more grateful that the story is still being written.

About Team TFVC

At TFVC, we’re not just advocates; we’re your dedicated defenders in the fight for medical freedom, ensuring every family has the power to make informed choices about vaccines and privacy.