Woman, 25, with life-threatening ectopic pregnancy is denied treatment by Texas hospital – because doctors say it’s an abortion
A Texas woman with a potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy was denied emergency treatment due to concerns about the state’s strict abortion ban.
Texas has imposed a near-total ban on abortions, and although the law contains exceptions for cases of extreme danger to the mother, doctors are reluctant to provide care in rare circumstances for fear of government penalties.
Kelsie Norris-De La Cruz, a 25-year-old college student, was told that her ectopic pregnancy – a situation in which the embryo grows outside the uterus – could cause her fallopian tube to rupture, causing serious internal bleeding.
Yet she claims doctors at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital refused to terminate the pregnancy, saying there was a chance the pregnancy was still viable.
She underwent emergency surgery at another hospital when doctors realized when the ectopic pregnancy started to rupture. They said if she had waited any longer she would have been “in extreme danger of losing her life.”
An ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, almost always results in pregnancy loss because the embryo cannot develop properly in these locations
The map above shows abortion bans by state, including those where the procedure is prohibited for fertilization except in medical emergencies
Ms. Norris-De La Cruz started experiencing cramps and bleeding early in her pregnancy. When she went to the hospital, doctors measured her hormone levels, performed an ultrasound and instructed her to return in 48 hours.
It is unclear how and why doctors missed the ectopic pregnancy during that first visit call it a ‘failed early pregnancy’
Mrs. Norris-De La Cruz felt ill for weeks and had severe stomach pains that led her to believe she might have appendicitis or a urinary tract infection.
It wasn’t until a nurse at her campus health center examined her that she went to the hospital. But the doctors ultimately refused to operate and discharged her
She was recommended to stay an extra night in the hospital, but the next day a second OB/GYN said ‘no surgery warranted’ and sent her home.”
Meanwhile, her mother Stephanie Lloyd tried to find an abortion provider in the state who could help her daughter, but without success.
Finally, after sending a photo of her disturbing ultrasound to a friend who was on her way to her OB/GYN, Ms. Norris-De La Cruz was finally able to see a doctor, Jeffery Morgan, who immediately identified it as an ectopic pregnancy. .
Ectopic pregnancies cannot progress normally and pose significant risks to the mother’s health, including internal bleeding if the ectopic pregnancy ruptures
Dr. Morgan operated and was able to remove the ectopic pregnancy on the right side of her pelvis. But to do that he had to remove most of her fallopian tube, potentially leading to loss of fertility.
Texas law states that doctors can terminate a pregnancy if it is ectopic. Doctors said there was a chance the pregnancy could still be viable, although major medical authorities disagree.
Still, most doctors were afraid to perform a procedure that could land them in jail.
Texas law says doctors can terminate a pregnancy if it is ectopic
But the threat of prison sentences and six-figure fines for medical professionals has led some hospitals and doctors in the state to deny or delay care.
Dr. Morgan said he was “baffled” that doctors refused to help Ms Norris-De La Cruz, saying: “Any kind of ectopic, something like that has been ruled out.”
Stephanie Lloyd said she thought Texas’ abortion law would only affect people who decided they didn’t want to get pregnant.
She never thought the law could prevent women like her daughter from accessing life-saving care. Since then, she has completely changed her mind about the abortion ban.
“I didn’t realize how far it had gone,” she said. ‘But it has now happened to my life, to my daughter.
She added: ‘Her life has been in danger and affected by someone who was too scared to help.’
Texas law makes limited exceptions to save the mother’s life, including in cases of ectopic pregnancies.
But the threat of six-figure fines and prison sentences has had a chilling effect on hospitals where doctors have denied life-saving care.
Every Texas woman who wants an abortion must leave the state to get one.