A bill being debated in the legislature would pause hospital system consolidation to preserve patient access to specific forms of care. Opponents argue, “God Bless mergers.”

Kate found out she was pregnant in August of 2019 — just a few months after her father had passed away unexpectedly.

She and her husband hadn’t been trying to conceive, but once the shock wore off, it was quickly replaced by a bittersweet excitement. She and her husband had planned to have two children, and were excited to give their oldest a younger sibling, but the family recently moved back to Spokane to be closer to her family in the Pacific Northwest, and that joy was mixed with the sadness of letting go of the dream that her children would grow up enjoying nature with their grandfather.