These women say the Texas abortion ban put their lives at risk. Now they’re suing

Amanda Zurawski spent three days in intensive care at death’s door, waiting for a life-saving abortion.

This Texas woman was 17 weeks pregnant when she developed a condition called cervical insufficiency and dilated prematurely. Her doctor told her that losing her fetus was “inevitable.”

But she told him that under Texas law, she can’t perform an abortion while the fetus’s heart is still beating. However, Zurawski had to wait three days – locked in what he called a “strange and avoidable hell” – until he developed blood poisoning. Only then did they intervene.

“I can’t express the trauma and despair of waiting to lose my own life, my child’s life, or both,” Zurawski told reporters at a news conference this week.

Zurawski is one of five Texas patients, as well as two doctors, who are suing the state over its abortion ban — one of the strictest in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion last year.

Asked for comment on the lawsuit, a spokesman for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the state’s top legal official, said in an email that he is “committed to doing everything in his power to protect mothers, families, and children, and he will continue to do so.” defend and enforce the laws enacted by the Texas Legislature.”

‘Fearful Doctor’

Texas, like most of the 13 states that ban abortion, allows exceptions to protect the life of the mother.

But the lawsuit says the law is vaguely worded and doctors aren’t sure when they can intervene. As a result, he persisted, even though he agreed that abortion was the appropriate medical course of action.

“Doctors are scared,” said attorney Marc Hearron As it happens hosted by Nil Koksal.

“If he provides an abortion in a situation where a prosecutor, jury, or government official thinks he shouldn’t be providing an abortion, he could be imprisoned for up to 99 years, fined hundreds of thousands of dollars, and could lose his medical license.”

Someone is going to die because of that abortion ban.– Marc Hearron, Center for Reproductive Rights

Hearron is senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights, which provides legal representation to plaintiffs.

“What we are asking is for the court to give doctors discretion so that they, in consultation with patients, can be sure that they will not be prosecuted for providing abortion health care,” he said.

“Amanda Zurawski and the other plaintiffs who have bravely come forward to file this lawsuit to hold the state of Texas accountable, they are just the tip of the iceberg.

“Someone is going to die because of this abortion ban.”

Four other patients in the lawsuit — Ashley Brandt, Lauren Hall, Lauren Miller and Anna Zargarian — say they had to travel out of state to receive medical treatment for pregnancy-related complications after doctors recommended abortions.

“An already difficult situation has extra trauma because of medical decisions made by lawmakers and politicians – and not me or based on best medical practice,” Zargarian said at a press conference.

Hearron noted that Zargarian and the other plaintiffs were fortunate enough to have the resources they needed to seek medical care in other states.

“There are patients who don’t have those resources,” he said.

An uncertain future

Zurawski said she underwent 18 weeks of fertility treatment before finally getting pregnant. They have chosen a name for their baby: Willow.

Now, due to the infection she suffered while waiting for treatment, it is unclear whether she will be able to conceive again.

“She wants nothing more than to be able to have children. And this is her first pregnancy. And as a result of the abortion ban, she may not be able to in the future,” Hearron said.

Otherwise, Hearron said all five women have recovered medically — “but certainly no thanks to the dangerous Texas politicians,” he said.