18-Year-Old Dies After Repeated ER Visits, Exposing Risks Of Abortion Bans In Texas

A pregnant Texas teenager, Nevaeh Crain, died following three emergency room visits, sparking renewed scrutiny of abortion bans and their impact on women’s health care. The 18-year-old’s experience has become a tragic example in the ongoing national conversation about the consequences of restricted reproductive rights.

In October 2023, Crain, then six months pregnant, sought medical help twice within 12 hours at two separate hospitals due to intense abdominal pain. Despite her complaints, the only diagnosis Crain received was strep throat, leaving her primary concern unaddressed. ProPublica’s investigation revealed that the hospital failed to examine her abdominal pain, a lapse that proved fatal. Her death follows similar incidents in Texas, including that of 28-year-old Josseli Barnica, who died following a miscarriage in 2021.

Texas’ abortion laws, which criminalize medical interventions that end fetal heartbeats regardless of pregnancy circumstances, have created a climate of caution among healthcare professionals. With severe legal penalties in place, doctors may avoid performing necessary procedures, even if a patient’s life is at risk, fearing prosecution.

Tragic Warning Signs Overlooked

On her second ER visit, medical records indicate Crain tested positive for sepsis, a severe infection that can lead to organ failure. Despite this life-threatening diagnosis, she was released after medical staff confirmed her fetus’s heartbeat. It was only during her third hospital visit that an obstetrician insisted on additional ultrasounds, eventually confirming the absence of a fetal heartbeat. By then, Crain’s health had severely deteriorated; she was moved to intensive care, but it was too late. She died shortly afterward from organ failure.

ProPublica reported a nurse’s observation of Crain’s physical state: her lips had turned “blue and dusky,” clear signs of critical illness. She was just days away from her 20th birthday.

Impact Of Abortion Bans On Women’s Health Care

Though Texas law includes exceptions for life-threatening situations, the ambiguity surrounding what constitutes an “allowable” intervention has left doctors hesitant to provide critical care. Health policy expert Sara Rosenbaum notes that pregnant women in these states face significant health risks as doctors and hospitals transfer them between facilities to avoid potential legal liability.

“Pregnant women have become essentially untouchables,” Rosenbaum told ProPublica, citing the hesitation among healthcare professionals as a byproduct of restrictive abortion policies.

Calls For Reform And Accountability

Reproductive rights advocate Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, condemned Crain’s death as a consequence of political decisions made by leaders like Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. “Pregnancy should not be a death sentence,” she stated, urging voters to consider reproductive rights in the upcoming November 5 election. Timmaraju underscored that supporting candidates who champion reproductive freedom, such as Texas Democrat Collin Allred and Vice President Kamala Harris, is essential to “restore the right to abortion and end these bans.”

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