In a separate incident, a pregnant Texas teen died after visiting the emergency room on three separate occasions seeking treatment. The case highlighted the medical consequences of losing abortion rights in the United States.
Nevae Crane, 18, visited two different emergency rooms within 12 hours in October 2023, but each time she returned home she felt worse than before. Mr. Crane was diagnosed with strep throat only at his first appointment. The hospital did not investigate her sharp abdominal cramps, ProPublica reported.
Crane is one of at least two Texas women who died under the state’s abortion ban after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion. Joceli Barnica, 28, passed away in 2021 after suffering a miscarriage.
These cases are seen as evidence of the new reality that U.S. medical professionals in states with new strict abortion restrictions are reluctant or afraid to care for pregnant women for fear of legal repercussions. are. Texas’ abortion ban could result in prison sentences for interventions that stop a fetus’ heartbeat, regardless of whether the pregnancy is wanted or not.
According to medical records, during Crane’s second visit, he tested positive for sepsis, a potentially life-threatening condition. However, doctors apparently confirmed that the six-month-old fetus still had a heartbeat and allowed her to be discharged from the hospital.
According to a report in ProPublica, Crain was ultimately transferred to the intensive care unit after her obstetrician insisted on two ultrasounds “to confirm fetal death” on her third visit. It is said that
She suffered organ failure and died a few hours later. One nurse said her lips felt “blue and dull,” according to ProPublica. The teenager would have turned 20 this Friday.
Although Texas makes exceptions for life-threatening conditions, the fear and anxiety instilled in doctors about whether their treatment will be considered a crime has a devastating impact on women seeking medical care. .
As a result, in states where abortion is prohibited, patients are often trafficked between hospitals to avoid liability and debate legality, which takes valuable time that could save lives. It is an act of wasting.
“Pregnant women have essentially become untouchable,” Sarah Rosenbaum, professor emeritus of health law and policy at George Washington University, told ProPublica.
Mini Thimaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, said Klein’s death underscores the deadly threat posed by abortion bans.
“Pregnancy should not be a death sentence,” Thimaraju said in a statement.
Timaraju places the blame for the abortion ban on the shoulders of Donald Trump and Republican politicians such as incumbent Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who faces a tough re-election battle against Democrat Colin Allred. Inflicted it on me.
“This has to stop,” she said. “And our best chance to do that is by voting pro-reproductive freedom, like supporting Allred and Kamala Harris against President Trump in the Nov. 5 election.” ”
By doing so, “we can restore abortion rights and these prohibitions,” Thimaraju said.
