Twenty-one-year-old Linda Fondren had a safe and legal abortion performed by Mohammad Pourtabib at Pre-Birth in Chicago on New Years Day, 1974. She suffered bleeding, but Pourtabib did not provide follow-up care. Linda was taken by ambulance to Michael Reese Hospital, in shock and needing emergency care. They would not admit her, but instead sent her to Cook County Hospital, where doctors performed an emergency hysterectomy.
Linda remained hospitalized at Cook County. On January 16, doctors tried to drain fluids from Linda's chest and inadvertently punctured her spleen. Linda died on January 20 from "hemoperitoneum with splenic rupture following hysterectomy and earlier dilatation and curettage." She left behind a small child.
Her survivors sued.
According to immigration records, Pourtabib was born in Tehran, Iran in 1942 and became a US citizen in 1980. I haven't been able to determine how long he was in the US before performing Linda's fatal abortion. His immigration form was signed by people who had only known him since July of 1975.
- "12 dead after abortions in state's walk-in clinics," Chicago Sun-Times 11-19-78
- Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 74L 12514
- Death Certificate No. 601804
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