Chicago Abortions: A History of Indifference to Women's Lives

"Susanna Chisolm" (name changed at the request of the family) was a pretty young mother of four when she went to Biogenetics Ltd. in Chicago for a safe and legal abortion on June 3, 1975. (NOTE: The current Biogenetics company in Chicago is not affiliated with any abortion facility.) Even though 35-year-old Susanna was more than 12 weeks pregnant, the Biogenetics doctor chose to ignore the Illinois law that required abortions after 12 weeks to be performed in hospitals. Within hours of her abortion, Susanna had bled to death from a punctured uterus. Biogenetics (which had been the target of at least 30 malpractice suits) claimed that their doctor was only repairing damage Susanna had done to herself in an attempted self-induced abortion. However, Biogenetics settled the case with Susanna's survivors for $75,000. Brenda Benton and Synthia Dennard also died after abortions at Biogenetics.

Lucy Hagenow

Nobody at Biogenetics was prosecuted for breaking the law, even though they had killed a woman while doing so. This is hardly surprising for Chicago, which has an appalling history of lax enforcement of abortion laws. The most deadly abortionist of the illegal era -- Lucy Hagenow -- made Chicago her home after killing several patients in San Francisco, and found a most welcoming atmosphere there.

Even today, Chicago's quack abortionists ply their trade with impunity. The most notorious is the National Abortion Federation's own Steve Lichtenberg and his Albany Medical Surgical Center. Even though he was scolded at a National Abortion Federation Risk Management Seminar for "playing Russian roulette with patients' lives," NAF continues to embrace him and the the authorities in Chicago in specific and Illinois in general turn a blind eye to the four patients I know of that have died because of Albany's lackluster care of anesthetized patients.


Tonya Reaves

Other deadly Chicago area abortionists include:


• Planned Parenthood, where Tonya Reaves was held for hours before being transported to a hospital where she bled to death.
• Women's Aid Clinic, where 18-year-old Antonesha Ross died after being given a paper bag to breathe into when she was coughing up blood.
• Access Health Center, where Melissa Heim died after being improperly resuscitated.

Antonesha Ross

As I've said before, as long as abortion practice is overseen by abortion proponents, the Access Uber Alles attitude will continue to endanger patients. Laws must be put into effect that punish people for sending women to quacks and those who are aware of quackery and take no action. Perhaps when their own freedom is on the line the hardcore abortion zealots will start to care more about women's lives than about "access."