1985: Tea and sympathy can't fix sepsis

Thirty-eight-year-old Ellen Williams went to Dadeland Family Planning in Miami for a safe and legal abortion on March 2, 1985. Ellen returned to Dadeland on May 4 reporting severe pain and high fever. The clinic owner, Betty Eason, gave Ellen some tea and summoned Chartoor Singh, who had done Ellen's abortion.

Four hours later Singh arrived and had Nabil Ghali help him perform a second D&C on Ellen. They then gave her a prescription for antibiotics and sent her home.

Ellen's pain and fever were so bad the next day that she was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. She quickly died of sepsis from a perforated uterus and bowel, leaving two children motherless.

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