Today's anniversaries

1928: Woman dies in doc's office: On November 4, 1928, 22-year-old Anna Borndal died at the office of Dr. Lou E. Davis of Chicago, from complications of an abortion performed there that day. Davis was held by the coroner for unintentional manslaughter, and indicted by a grand jury for homicide. Anna's abortion was typical of illegal abortions in that it was performed by a physician.

1977: Abortion quackery kills Texas mom: Louchrisser Jackson, a 23-year-old mother of five, was 12 weeks pregnant when she went to Dr. Robert L. Gardner for a safe and legal abortion at Reproductive Services in Dallas on November 4, 1977. Louchrisser began hemorrhaging. Gardner said that he ordered blood for a transfusion, but it didn't arrive so about an hour before her death he attempted to give her a transfusion with his own blood -- which turned out to be an incompatible type.

A private ambulance was called but was not informed of the nature of the transport. In that jurisdiction, private ambulances are only permitted to transport stable patients; they are prohibited from responding to emergency calls. Because the ambulance service had no reason to expect an emergency, they did not respond promptly. When they arrived, Louchrisser had gone into cardiac arrest. The crew rushed Louchrisser to the hospital immediately.

Louchrisser died that day. Gardner requested that the body be released without an inquiry. Another physician at the hospital learned of the case and requested an inquiry. The autopsy found massive hemmorage of at least two liters of blood from massive tears in Louchrisser's uterus.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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