Louisiana Woman Was Denied Abortion For Fetus With Fatal Condition, Wants ‘Vague’ Ban Clarified
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Title: Louisiana Woman Was Denied Abortion For Fetus With Fatal Condition, Wants ‘Vague’ Ban Clarified
Originally reported on www.essence.com by Melissa Noel
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Louisiana Woman Was Denied Abortion For Fetus With Fatal Condition, Wants ‘Vague’ Ban Clarified
A pregnant Louisiana woman said that she was denied an abortion, although doctors told her that her baby had a rare birth defect and would not survive.
Nancy Davis was 10 weeks into her pregnancy when she learned that her unborn child was diagnosed with acrania, according to NBC News.
This rare and fatal condition prevents the baby’s skull from forming. The Fetal Medicine Foundation says that a baby born with this “lethal condition” would die within the first week of life.
At a news conference on Friday, Davis said that doctors at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge advised her to get an abortion. However, they told her they could not perform the procedure due to the state’s abortion ban.
“Basically, they said I had to carry my baby to bury my baby,” said Davis, who is about 16 weeks pregnant now.
“They seemed confused about the law and afraid of what would happen to them if they perform a criminal abortion, according to the law.”
Article continues after video.
Louisiana law currently prohibits all abortions except when a woman is seriously impaired or at risk of death and when the pregnancy is “medically futile.”
The state’s trigger law making abortions illegal went into effect in June after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, taking away a reproductive right in place for almost 50 years.
About a dozen states have since outlawed abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some only allowing for exceptions in cases of rape or incest as well as when the mother’s life is at risk.
“Thanks to the actions of the Louisiana legislator, Ms. Davis was left without medical care to do what doctors said needed to be done, end the pregnancy,” said her Attorney Ben Crump during the press conference.
“By imposing themselves between Ms. Davis and her doctors, Louisiana lawmakers inflicted unspeakable pain, emotional damage, and physical risk upon this beautiful mother,” he said.
He also called Davis’ treatment “inhumane” and said he and his client are calling on Gov. John Bel Edwards and the legislature to call a special session to clarify the state’s restrictions on the procedure.
Davis, who is already a mother of three, says she will travel to another state to get an abortion this week. By the time she does the procedure, it will be nearly two months after doctors advised her to end her pregnancy.
“This is not fair to me, and it should not happen to any other woman. This has truly been an emotional roller coaster,” she said.
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