Dr. Margaret Carpenter, or “Dr. Maggie” as her friends and patients affectionately call her, has always been the brave one, says Dr. Ingrid Frengle-Burke, her best friend and former colleague. Carpenter rarely hesitates to speak up, questioning protocols that hurt her patients and advocating for anyone who feels unheard.

But now, Dr. Maggie, who has provided healthcare to thousands around the world in countries including Senegal and Ethiopia, is at the heart of a nationwide controversy for providing abortion care to women in states where access is restricted or outlawed.

“She is providing access and help to girls that have nowhere to turn and to use that verbiage is defeating what she’s trying to do,” she said. “It’s just crazy that men in power and these politicians are allowed to even have a say in this, because they will never experience it. They just want to control women’s bodies.”