On Wednesday January 29, 9to5 members joined actor Cynthia Nixon, champions in Congress, and working women from across the country on the phone for Let’s Talk About It: A Tele-Townhall to Discuss Advancing Women and Families in 2014. 9to5 Colorado member Shelby Ramirez shared her FMLA story with over 16,000 listeners, who called in to the tele-townhall to discuss fair pay, paid family and medical leave, paid sick days and affordable child care.

As Shelby shared on the call, “When my younger daughter needed surgery at the same time that my elderly father needed immediate medical attention, I was able to use the Family and Medical Leave Act to take time off from work to care for them. But having to take unpaid leave was an enormous financial burden for me. I had to choose between paying rent or caring for my family, between medications and meals. After this crisis, it took me four months to get caught up with my bills. Although FMLA ensured that I was able to keep my job, having paid family and medical leave is necessary now and for the future of our families.”

Join the discussion! Listen to the recording of Shelby sharing her story here and share it with your friends on Facebook and other social media.