BBC News: She was denied an abortion in Texas – then she almost died

This blog originally appeared at BBC News.

A Texas law that bans all abortions except in dire medical circumstances is one of the strictest introduced since the right to the procedure was overturned. Critics say it is forcing many women, and their doctors, to choose between breaking the law and making the right decision for their health.

Amanda Zurawski and her husband Josh had recently purchased their dream home in Austin, Texas, a sought-after area with beautiful views. Excitedly awaiting the arrival of their first child, they envisioned a joyous moving day. However, their reality was far from what they expected. Amanda’s life was endangered when she was denied an abortion, just after being discharged from the hospital.

Reflecting on that day, Amanda shared with the BBC, “It felt like I was living in a dystopian world. In the United States, as a pregnant person, you should not be afraid for your life because of the laws.”

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, granting states the power to ban abortions, 13 states have passed near-total bans. Texas, the largest state and one of the strictest, prohibits all abortions from the moment of conception, with exceptions only for a “life-threatening physical condition” or “a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.” Violating this law can result in a hefty fine of $100,000 (£78,000) and even life imprisonment.

When Amanda discovered she was expecting a daughter, she and her husband were filled with joy. Unfortunately, on the same day she was compiling the guest list for her baby shower, she received devastating news. She was diagnosed with cervical insufficiency, a condition that weakens the cervical tissue and causes premature dilation. The doctors informed her that her unborn daughter would not survive. This heartbreaking situation placed Amanda directly in the crosshairs of Texas’s abortion ban, compounding their grief.

“She was a baby that we desperately, desperately wanted,” she said.

Texas abortion law: ‘I waited for my daughter to die so I wouldn’t die’

click here to see video: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65935189