A 14-Year-Old Girl Got Free Tampons And Pads In Her School Bathrooms

When eighth grader Cordelia Longo found all the feminine product machines in her school were broken, she realized something needed to be done. Middle school is already a tough time for many girls, and being unable to find a tampon when it's really needed should not be something they have to deal with on top of that.

Longo discovered that many others had been in similar positions to her and decided to try to make a change.

She drafted a petition and sent it to administrators with 100 signatures along with a letter.

"Why are tissues and toilet paper provided free at school, but not sanitary pads and tampons? As toilet paper and tissue are used for normal bodily functions, sanitary pads and tampons are also necessary to address normal bodily functions," she wrote, also noting that by state law, public schools in New York are obligated to provide sanitary products.

Longo's plan worked. The bathroom machines will no longer require coins for operation and it seems other high schools may follow suit, helping many other young girls avoid potentially embarrassing situations.