Critically ill woman faces jail time if she goes forward with life-saving abortion

[Seedersandleechers]

Source: Salon.com

In addition to her health complications, doctors have confirmed that the fetus has anencephaly and is non-viable


According to a report from Amnesty International, a seriously ill and pregnant El Salvadorian woman may face jail time if she goes forward with a life-saving and medically-recommended abortion. Abortion is illegal under all circumstances in El Salvador.

The 22-year-old mother of one, identified only as Beatriz, is four-and-a-half months pregnant, but her doctors have confirmed that the fetus has anencephaly (developing without a brain and certain parts of the skull) and that the pregnancy is non-viable. In addition to the fetal diagnosis, Beatriz is experiencing critical health complications related to her lupus and kidney disease.

The hospital treating Beatriz requested legal permission to perform the abortion more than a month ago, but authorities have still not agreed to let them proceed. Now, if government policy and religious ideology interfering with a woman’s right to access abortion care or a doctor’s ability to exercise medical judgment and save a woman’s life sounds familiar, it should.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/04/18/critically_ill_woman_faces_jail_time_if_she_goes_forward_with_life_saving_abortion/

[sakabatou]

1. Too much religion and men going into women's health.

[Daemonaquila]

17. Amen.

Perfectly said.

[valerief]

19. +1 gazillion

[wordpix]

54. +1000

[In_The_Wind]

62. I agree!

[drm604]

2. Tragic.

And there are many in this country who would support what they're doing to this woman.

[marybourg]

3. Sounds familiar to me. This went on in this country

during my adulthood, especially in Catholic hospitals. They believed it was OK to "allow" a woman to die, rather than to "kill" her fetus. That's why women of my generation marched, walked , yelled, voted, wrote and even did some illegal things to make abortion legal. I'm shocked at how many young women claim to be willing to go back to this disgusting practice under the false banner of being "pro-life".

[hamsterjill]

23. Brilliant post!

I remember...

And I will never forget.

I am shocked as well. The right is no longer valued in the way that it is by those of us who had to fight to get it.

[smirkymonkey]

34. My mother died in childbirth back in 1966 in a Catholic Hospital, even though she

wasn't Catholic and the doctors knew she was in danger from eclampsia. My father could have sued but never did and her obstetrician left the hospital shortly afterward and moved to Florida. I don't know much more about it than that because nobody will talk about what really happened, but I have always suspected they had sacrificed her life due to their religious beliefs. My brother lived and I love him, but this is an issue that I feel strongly about. I don't believe in taking the life of a woman who has a family that needs her and loves her for the life of an unborn child.

[marybourg]

36. I'm so sorry that this happened to you and your family.

This should never have happened in the mid-twentieth century.

[smirkymonkey]

38. Thank you. I appreciate your concern.

[womanofthehills]

53. I had a close call in a Catholic Hospital in the 60's

I had just moved to NC and didn't know it was a Catholic Hospital. I had never lived in the south before. I was bleeding and the dr said the baby was not viable but they could not do a D & C because they were a Catholic hospital; I had to wait till the fetus came out itself. Anyway, the next day I almost bleed to death - suddenly there were about 20 nurses in my room & I was being rushed down to the emergency room. I can just imagine how many women have died because of their stupid practices. Sorry about your mom. My mom also had eclampsia when she gave birth to me - she had a stroke but survived.

[smirkymonkey]

60. I am so so sorry to hear about your mom and you. That is just horriying what you went

through. I have all the sympathy in the world for you.

[Warpy]

4. Somebody needs to buy her a ticket to Mexico City

They just decriminalized it there.

Yes, Mexico is slowly waking up, telling the priests to go to hell, and liberalizing its laws.

[Seedersandleechers]

8. She may be too sick to travel.

But yes if all possible go to Mexico City.

[REP]

15. She's probably well enough to travel - for now

I have similar conditions and I'd guess she feels terrible, but can travel - especially since it will save her life. The questions are can she afford to and will she be allowed to.

[southernyankeebelle]

5. I have a sister that was carrying twins. About the 4th month she knew one of the

twins had water on the brain. She carried it thinking when the child was born it would be still born. It turned out yes she had water on the brain and was getting excellent help. From the time she was born they sent someone to the house to work with her. She would spend about 10 mins watching the twins together then the one child was taken and she worked with the other child. That's how Maryland handles handicap children from birth. Well this young girl did very well throughout school. She is ready to graduate college in about a month after finishing up a couple of tests. I am so proud of her. Her parents never held her back to do anything she wanted to do. She played softball, soccer, rode horses and went swimming. I tell you god does gives us mircles. Oh by the way she even got married in Sep. But not all children are that lucky. I certainly wouldn't want to carry a child if I knew the child wasn't viable and I can understand why she wants an abortion.

[jeff47]

16. Yes, that's exactly like a child not having a brain at all.

I certainly wouldn't want to carry a child if I knew the child wasn't viable and I can understand why she wants an abortion.

Yes, it's just a "want". It's not like the pregnancy is killing her.

....oh wait.

[southernyankeebelle]

22. Well for my sister all turned out well. Not so for many people. I know for ME I wouldn't

want to go through something like that at all.

[wordpix]

55. I would not take the chance, myself but that's the thing about CHOICE

if someone does not want to chance having a handicapped child, that should be her business and not the business of gawd-fearing repuklicans who claim to love small gov or none at all. They are so small-government loving that they're sticking their noses into women's vaginas.

[southernyankeebelle]

59. your right. I can honestly say this young woman is the joy of the family because

she went through so much. But if you sat down with her you would never know she has a shunt in her head. She is our family mircle and yes it could have been worse.

[magical thyme]

20. You're confusing hydrocephaly with anencephaly

The fetus in question has no brain. There will be no "miracle" and the mother doesn't just want an abortion, she needs one to survive.

Very, very different situations aside from the care issues.

[southernyankeebelle]

21. Oh I am so sorry. I did.

[HockeyMom]

6. Ectopic pregnancy

No "abortion" for an embryo that has zero chance of survival in a fallopian tube? Woman should DIE for that with a ruptured tube for which no viable baby will ever be delivered. Her FUTURE children should never be born for an ideology of not "killing" an embryo which will never be born?

I would not be typing this. My now 28 year old daughter would not be here today.

[libodem]

25. me too

My tube did rupture. I remember the surgeon being very consoling at the bedside about the loss, I hadn't even stopped to consider the 'baby'. I already had a two year old and a nursing six month old, at the time. I was exhausted. That was a rough time in my briefly married life.

[HockeyMom]

30. I had a 3 year old at time

As I left for the hospital, she was crying her eyes out, "Mommy, Mommy, I don't want you to die". She is 34 years old now and still remember what she was wearing that day.

Yet, they make these stupid ADS say, "Mommy, Mommy, please don't kill me". Well, I heard my living and breathing 3 year old child begging ME not to die. Which do you think I would give up my life for? A doomed embryo or my 3 year old? They do not understand WHY a woman would save a child over an embryo or a fetus. They should not even be a parent if that is what they think.

[Auntie Bush]

43. My sister wouldn't be here either!

[Maraya1969]

51. Because mine was found so early they followed it with daily blood tests to see if it would disolve

on its own but then after about a week, (the hormone levels were going down but then stopped) they gave me a shot of Methotrexate which is a cancer drug that kills cells. And that ended it.

I can't imagine finding out you have an ectopic pregnancy and it being illegal to treat. It would be like walking around with a bomb strapped to you knowing that it will eventually go off.

I'd like to kick every "pro-life" man in the nuts right now.

[Heathen57]

7. Sadly, those laws are being

duplicated here in several states where the Rethuglicans have the majority, and in spite of polls that show the people are not wanting these restrictive laws.

If this woman is in good enough shape to travel, perhaps they could get her to a country where she will have a chance to survive.

[Orrex]

9. That's so screwed up that I can' tbelieve that it isn't happening to her in the US.

[Smilo]

10. Sadly this is the Christian Right's wet dream

disgusting and barbaric but it is what they want for all women.

[Hekate]

11. Why not just deliver the Last Rites to her and walk away?

[geek tragedy]

12. Remember, blaming the Catholic Church for this crap is bigotry.

[get the red out]

13. Similar to what happened in Ireland recently

The poor woman died. In fact in the Ireland case, the fetus was already dead and they wouldn't remove it.

If this isn't religious hatred of women I don't know what is, besides all the witch burnings they've done in the past anyway.

[Sunlei]

14. salon always uses others news for 'their' story. they do credit Amnesty International pic

I find it very annoying that salon doesn't provide a direct, easy to find-link to the actual entire story.


The link to Amnesty International. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news

[REP]

18. Bet she can't sterilized either (many forms of BC are unsafe for kidney patients)

That is, if she even has access to contraception; unfortunately the most reliable are not the best choices for kidney patients (though the risks involved are usually not quite as bad as the risks of pregnancy in a kidney patient, but not always) and barrier methods have a much higher failure rate.

It shouldn't matter that the fetus isn't viable. It shouldn't even matter that this woman faces death. All that should matter is that she needs a medical procedure, and some old men who inexplicably wear medieval dresses are interfering with modern medicine.

[midnight]

24. This is a decision that should be between this mother and her doctor, and not anyone else....

[lark]

26. Repugs should be forced to live there.

They spout these same "values" ALL the time. Don't think they'd like it if it was them or their daughter that was facing death over a fetus that can't live.

Besides, that way we'd be rid of them. LOL.

[Ken Burch]

29. Maybe this is why Reagan sent so much money and so many guns down to defend this regime

It's a Republican theme park in the jungle.

[FiveGoodMen]

27. This is why the accommodationist approach to religion is wrong.

People's deeply held, deeply cherished, and totally mythical beliefs should be fought at every turn.

[CBHagman]

42. First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[FiveGoodMen]

44. Your point is?

Congress shall make no law, but I can oppose, dispute, criticize.

[freshwest]

45. There is nothing in the First that can force a person to obey religious doctrine either.

Obama was quite clear in his defense of the ACA coverage of women's health care. That it's the woman and her doctor's opinion that matters. For that he's called a baby killer by the RW. Nothing new for any liberal, goes with the territory.

He's right and they are wrong. Separation of church and state protects both entities. Balance and reason should prevail. This country has gone so far back in time I scarcely recognize it and I'm no spring chicken. Horrible.

And in the case in the OP, it's obvious that it is not the mother's religion that is being 'respected.' She wants to live and they don't care. The United Nations now says that denying a woman abortions, birth control, healthcare, etc. is equivalent to TORTURE.

No one should be forced to have sex, not have sex, bear or bear children, etc. It is a violation of their rights, whether one wants to call it Free Will in the religious sense, or their rights under charters that countries have agreed upon and are called humanist.

Her religion, if she has one is not being respected. This has nothing to do with the First Amendment, except if she was here it would be violating it. I think American women should protest all these damnable laws on reproductive rights using the First until it's settled once and for all. Or else face being chattel property. Or whatever.

Damn all callous, inhumane laws.

[Ken Burch]

28. President Obama needs to let this woman be brought to the U.S. on humanitarian grounds.

Her life is in jeopardy because of religious extremism.

[freshwest]

31. Great. Leave her one year old without a mother. That's real smart!

This is what your government looks like when infested with theocratic laws instead of humanist ones.

Enuff said.

[pennylane100]

32. And the fact that the child could accompany her mother her

and be cared for by a volunteer family had not crossed your mind.

[freshwest]

33. Your position is that the child should be unnecessarily orphaned?

[smirkymonkey]

35. I'm sorry, but wtf are you talking about?

Are you saying that this is ok because the living child can be taken care of by another family? If so, that is absolutely sick. This is just criminal!

[idwiyo]

40. WTF?

[pennylane100]

46. Oops,Sorry, I must have had a serious senior moment,

I thought you was referring to the fact that the child would be left behind if the mother came to the USA for medical treatment. I was a little surprised when I received a couple of WTF replies to what I thought was a very reasonable solution that the child would come with the mother to this country. Of course she should not have to leave her mother, I am horrified that it sounded like I was suggesting that.

[freshwest]

47. Okay. I guess you were taking into consideration posts that suggested she come here.

But that's not in the OP, at all. I understand the confusion. If she is not allowed to live through the procedure she needs to continue being a mother, her child will be orphaned as it currently stands.

Amnesty International is fighting for her rights under the United Nations, which now defines the denial of her reproductive rights to torture. Sadly, a trip to the USA may not be in the works.

And if we don't get in charge of the state legislatures and defeat personhood bills, the same treatment will be outlawed here, as it is specifically being prohibited now in some states. If we don't stop this, coming to the USA will not be a help.

Ironically, women of means in many countries can get this kind of needed help and not perish from pregnancy.

But not El Salvadore, and their law is so severe that anyone who helped here leave would be subject to prison. Similar laws are being passed in the United States now.

Thanks for clearing that up..

[wordpix]

56. well if she comes to the US, I hope she goes to one of the few states that will allow abortion

for a 5 mo old fetus. It seems that so many are blocking mid-term abortions now

[pennylane100]

58. Yes, just when you think life cannot get any worse,

that would be a real setback. However, she could then go immediately to a state that is not controlled by the religious right for the treatment she needs and the anti choice groups would would get badly wounded, and the self inflicted injury may be the one that kills them. Metaphorically speaking of course.

[Zoeisright]

37. I just wish there was a hell so those fucking

"authorities" would burn in it for all time. Fucking assholes. They should be charged with murder.

[idwiyo]

39. K&R

[sheshe2]

41. K&R

This is so terribly sad, like the mother in Ireland. She was left to die, needlessly.

[The Flaming Red Head]

48. This is going to happen in the US, if the Christian right gets its way

It's just a matter of time. the young people (especially girls) don't appreciate how bad it was before Roe. Not so subtle brainwashing from Juno, to Knocked Up and other little comedic movies like Role Models where they depict pro-choice women as cold hard bitches who use abortion as birth control has had an effect. Girls now especially in the south not only don't believe in abortion, but don't seem to know or care anything about birth control, either as i see ones in their early 20s with 5 kids and 5 different baby daddies. Shit they need to put more money into Planned Parenthood in all these southern states not less.

[SunSeeker]

49. K&R

[HelenWheels]

50. Spontaneous abortion

Some kind doctor should give her a medication that causes spontaneous abortion. They could do this secretly. A doctor from another country could send it to her in the mail.

[ismnotwasm]

52. K&R

[ljm2002]

57. Bastards.

Just, bastards. I hate these people. They don't know a damned thing about real life, they want women to die because of their own stupid ideology, and they do it purely for political gain. The Catholic bastard priests who have pushed these policies, and the politicians who put the policies into effect, should be strung up by their testicles and allowed to die of sepsis.

Okay, okay, it's just a rant. I really don't want to see that nor would I ever do it. But damn, it's what they are inflicting in real life on women every single day, and it's just accepted as business as usual. As soon as a woman or girl becomes pregnant, she is no longer fully human, she is merely a vessel for new life, and these twisted people have no regard for her life at all.

The doctors already know the baby is dead on arrival. But let's kill the mother too. It's such a holy position to take.

[smirkymonkey]

61. +1000