1993: NAF abortion leaves woman in fatal coma

On February 24, 1993, 23-year-old Venus Ortiz sought a safe, legal abortion at National Abortion Federation member Eastern Women's Center.



Evidence indicated that the abortion of Venus' approximately 15-week pregnancy was performed by a Dr. Leiber. Venus' family later alleged that there was negligence in administering anesthesia to her, and failure to establish an airway. Brevital, fentanyl, and midazolam were administered in dosages and manners contrary to standards of practice, causing Venus to suffer a synergistic reaction.

Eastern's staff failed to promptly diagnose and attend to cardio-pulmonary arrest. Eastern's notes of 5:35 PM indicate "2:35 PM end of surgery ... we noticed patient's ashen color and the pulse oximeter tracing and digital readout were gone from the monitor." Emergency medical services were called. The reading of Venus' blood pressure at that time was 90/55; four minutes later it was recorded as being 146/62.

Venus was transported by ambulance to a hospital, accompanied by Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Goodman, and/or Dr. Jeffrey P. Moskowitz. However, the damage had already been done. Venus was left in permanent need of respirator, with profound brain damage. Venus remains in a coma/vegetative state. She was hospitalized a little over five months before being transferred to permanent nursing home care.

To further underscore Eastern's neglect of patients' needs, the suit also noted that although this was her 4th abortion, Venus had not been referred to a social worker.

Venus remained in a permanent vegetative state for the remainder of her life. She died in New York on December 16, 1998 at the age of 29.

Two other patients, Dawn Ravenelle and Dawn Mack, also died of complications of abortions done at Eastern Women's Center.

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1974: Another Black mother enjoys the dubious benefits of "choice"

On January 28, 1974, after twelve days on life support, 38-year-old Evangeline McKenna was pronounced dead in Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles.

She had checked in for a safe, legal abortion two weeks earlier, and had opted to have a tubal ligation at the same time. Two days later, she had a seizure, stopped breathing, and went into cardiac arrest. Doctors told the family that Evanegline was brain dead, but they held out hope and asked that she be put on life support, where she remained until her death twelve days later.

Evangeline's death, in addition to being a tragedy for her family and loved ones, also highlights the disproportionate damage that legal abortion causes among Blacks in the United States. Though black women are only 13% of the female population in the US, and though they are more likely than white women to oppose abortion, they account for a full 35% of legal abortions reported. Black women, like Evangeline, also account for fully 50% of reported legal abortion deaths.

Evangeline's story in a minute:

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1998: A lingering death from the best care available

On December 16, 1998, 29-year-old Venus Ortiz died in a New York nursing home. She had been there, in a vegetative state, for nearly six years. Her death had been set in motion at Eastern Women's Center in New York City -- a National Abortion Federation member clinic.



Venus Ortiz had been 23 years old when she went to Eastern for a safe, legal abortion on February 24, 1993. Evidence indicated that the abortion of Venus' approximately 15-week pregnancy was performed by a Dr. Leiber. Her family alleged that there was negligence in administering anesthesia to Venus, and failure to establish an airway. Brevital, fentanyl, and midazolam were administered in dosages and manners contrary to standards of practice, causing Venus to suffer a synergistic reaction.

Eastern's staff failed to promptly diagnose and attend to cardio-pulmonary arrest. Eastern's notes of 5:35 PM indicate "2:35 PM end of surgery ... we noticed patient's ashen color and the pulse oximeter tracing and digital readout were gone from the monitor." Emergency medical services were called. The reading of Venus' blood pressure at that time was 90/55; four minutes later it was recorded as being 146/62.

Venus was transported by ambulance to a hospital, accompanied by Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Goodman, and/or Dr. Jeffrey P. Moskowitz. However, the damage had already been done. Venus was left in permanent need of respirator, with profound brain damage. She was hospitalized a little over five months before being transferred to permanent nursing home care, where she remained, her condition unimproved, until her death.

To further underscore Eastern's neglect of patients' needs, the suit also noted that although this was her 4th abortion, Venus had not been referred to a social worker.

Two other patients, Dawn Ravenelle and Dawn Mack, also died of complications of abortions done at Eastern Women's Center.

But prochoicers pooh-pooh the idea that it's poor judgement to trust a NAF member to provide safe, professional abortion care.



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1992: A lingering death thanks to safe, legal abortion

On December 1, 1992, 35-year-old Suzanne Logan died in a Maryland nursing home. She had been there for three years, mute and paralyzed. Her only memory of how she got there was of going to Hillview abortion clinic in Maryland on September 9, 1989, for a safe, legal abortion. She had been 13 weeks into her pregnancy.

Her abortion was performed by Gideon Kioko.

There was no record of how much intravenous Brevital was administered to Suzanne, or who administered the drug. There was also no record of any examination to determine of this drug was appropriate for Suzanne.

Suzanne was already unconscious on the table when Kioko and his nurse entered the procedure room. Kioko was being assisted by an unlicensed nurse, who noted that Suzanne's lips were turning blue. She told Kioko, who continued with the abortion procedure. There is no record that anybody monitored her vital signs or administered oxygen during the procedure.

The nurse summoned Barbara Lofton, who came into the room with Dr. Raymond Taylor, a doctor Hillview used to provide aftercare. Taylor began to attend to Suzanne. Kioko's only contribution to the efforts to revive his patient was to attach an EKG line to one of her arms.

Eventually somebody summoned emergency medical services (EMS). The EMS personnel reported that the Hillview employees seemed "very confused and did not seem to know what they were doing." EMS staff also noted that Hillview staff had put an oxygen mask on Suzanne upside-down, so that she wasn't getting any oxygen.

Suzanne was cyanotic (she had turned blue from lack of oxygen), her pupils were dilated. She was limp, and had no pulse and was not breathing. EMS workers managed to perform CPR and get Suzanne's heart and lungs working again, and transported her to a hospital.

Suzanne remained comatose and was transferred to a nursing home. Four months after the abortion, she regained consciousness, but was paralyzed and unable to speak. She had no memory of the abortion, but was able to eventually recall having gone to the clinic.

Local prolifers visited Suzanne, and bought her a device that allowed her to communicate. She was interviewed by 60 Minutes, and asked what she wanted. She replied, "To go home."

Suzanne filed suit against Kioko and the clinic. In November of 1992, she finally won her suit, and was awarded $2.6 million and $10,000 a month for life, to cover her expenses. Sadly, Suzanne died on December 1, before she had a chance to fulfill her wish of seeing her father again.

Debra Gray also died after an abortion at Hillview. Hillview's owner, Barbara Lofton, had opened an abortion clinic in the District of Columbia, but had been closed down for operating without a license. So she'd moved two miles over the border into Maryland, where there were no impeding regulations keeping her from running the facility. A former employee interviewed by 60 Minutes thought that Lofton was a doctor because she dressed like a doctor, answered the phone "Dr. Lofton," and performed medical tasks.

Kioko made the following excuses to the medical board regarding the fatal abortions:

In the first two cases where Brevital was given, I did not give it, nor did I consent to it. I was not consulted or asked about it. I did not even start intravenous fluids. The decision to administer Brevital was made by the patient and the clinic, and during those [sic] time, I would be called in. I would be notified that "the patient is now asleep, Doctor. You may start the procedure." ....

I, therefore, had nothing to do with the Brevital administered to these two patients. Other contract physicians were also working under similar terms, and, like me, they had nothing to do with the administration of Brevital. I suppose that I was just unlucky at that time and happened to be there when this incident happened.

....

[Regarding Debra Gray]. I understand that [the Brevital] was given by Dr. Barbara Lofton-Clinical Practitioner. My initial contact with the patient was the initial sizing evaulation and to determine the gestational age of the pregnancy. The next contact by me was when the patient was already asleep. As I was finishing the procedure, I called the attention to the administers [sic] of the anesthetic, that the patient's blood was getting unusually dark. At that time, in my view, adequate resuscitation efforts was [sic] immediately instituted with airway established and 911 was called. EKG and oxygen were available and were used. Dr. Taylor, a Cardiology fellow headed the resuscitation effort. It is just not true that adequate resuscitation was not done and that the equipment was not available. Indicenttally, this patient had recently used Opium [sic], though the patient had denied this in her medical history.

The case of [Suzanne Logan] is similar. The patient was put to sleep, with Brevital. I was not in the Operating Room at the time. Once again I was called in to do the procedure once the patient was deemed asleep. I was not consulted, nor did I participate in the decision to give the agent, but once again, I know there was immediate and adequate resuscitation effort. (Please refer to the letter from Dr. [sic] Barbara Lofton). The only case I directly had complete responsibility for is that of ... [Patient C].

The medical board noted that Kioko, as the physician performing the procedure, was still responsible for ensuring that the patient was being provided with appropriate care, regardless of how the clinic chose to assign tasks. The board also noted that nobody was monitoring either woman's vital signs while Kioko was operating on them.

The board noted that "In the above cases, [Kioko] performed surgical procedures under conditions that failed to meet appropriate standards for the delivery of quality medical and surgical care. .... In the event that [Kioko] was unable to correct these conditions, the appropriate standard of care required that [he] not perform these procedures at this facility until these conditions were so corrected."

The board also noted that "Kioko demonstrated a serious lack of judgment.... Kioko assumed that his role was limited to performing technical procedures upon anesthetized patients, leaving overall management of the patients to others. Dr. Kioko's gullibility in this regard proved fatal."



For more on pre-legalization abortion, see The Bad Old Days of Abortion

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1993: Safe, legal abortion turns fatal for New York woman

On October 28, 1993, 25-year-old Giselene Lafontant lost her fight for life. She had been on a respirator since October 9, when she'd been taken to Good Samaritan Hospital after going into cardio-respiratory arrest less than 20 minutes after her safe, legal abortion. She had been 9 or 10 weeks pregnant. The abortion had been performed by Dr. Scher at Gynecare in Monsey, New York.

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Magnet improves coma patient's condition

Not in any breathtaking way, but enough that he's able to communicate a bit and is much easier to care for. And God bless his Mom and girlfriend, who are sticking with him through it all.

1984: After weeks in coma, abortion patient dies

Yvonne Tanner, a 22-year-old mother of a young daughter, had a safe and legal abortion performed by Stephen Pine and/or Morton Barke July 10, 1984 at Inglewood Women's Hospital.

Yvonne went into a coma immediately after the abortion, and died August 14, 1984. Her death certificate indicates coma, hypertension, and urinary tract infection.

The suit by her survivors alleged that Yvonne was not adequately advised of the risks prior to undergoing the fatal abortion.

The other women I know of who died from abortions at Inglewood are Kathy Murphy, Lynette Wallace, Elizabeth Tsuji, Cora Lewis, and Belinda Byrd.

What sort of facility was Inglewood Women's Hospita?
It was a respected, full-service women's hospital. The high number of deaths was attributed to the fact that they typically only performed abortions on high-risk patients.
It was an ordinary abortion facility that had a sudden cluster of deaths. They did an internal investigation in addition to the state investigation, and found that the deaths were all connected with a single nurse, who was fired and lost her nursing license.
It was a fairly seedy place that was frequently in violation of regulations but managed to stay open by always promising to do better next time. It was only shut down once, and re-opened almost immediately.
It was a disreputable abortion mill that was repeatedly shut down by the state, but by challenging the state's actions in court it was able to remain open.

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Anniversary: NAF abortion leaves young woman in fatal coma

On February 24, 1993, 23-year-old Venus Ortiz underwent an abortion of her approximately 15-week pregnancy, evidently performed by a Dr. Leiber, at National Abortion Federation member Eastern Women's Center.



A suit filed on Venus's behalf alleged that there was negligence in administering anesthesia to Venus, and failure to establish an airway. Brevital, fentanyl, and midazolam were administered in dosages and manners contrary to standards of practice, causing Venus to suffer a synergistic reaction.

Eastern's staff failed to promptly diagnose and attend to cardio-pulmonary arrest. Eastern's notes of 5:35 PM indicate "2:35 PM end of surgery ... we noticed patient's ashen color and the pulse oximeter tracing and digital readout were gone from the monitor." Emergency medical services were called. The reading of Venus' blood pressure at that time was 90/55; four minutes later it was recorded as being 146/62.

Venus was transported by ambulance to a hospital, accompanied by Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Goodman, and/or Dr. Jeffrey P. Moskowitz. However, the damage had already been done. Venus was left in permanent need of respirator, with profound brain damage. Venus remained in a coma/vegetative state. She was hospitalized a little over five months before being transferred to permanent nursing home care.

To further underscore Eastern's neglect of patients' needs, the suit also noted that although this was her 4th abortion, Venus had not been referred to a social worker.

Venus remained in a permanent vegetative state for the remainder of her life. She died in New York on December 16, 1998 at the age of 29.

Two other patients, Dawn Ravenelle and Dawn Mack, also died of complications of abortions done at Eastern Women's Center.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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Anniversary: After six years in nursing home, NAF abortion patient dies

On December 16, 1998, 29-year-old Venus Ortiz died in a New York nursing home. She had been totally incapacitated, diagnosed as in a "vegetative state", since her safe and legal abortion nearly six years earlier, performed at National Abortion Federation member Eastern Women's Center when Venus was 23 years old.



Evidence indicated that the abortion of Venus' approximately 15-week pregnancy was performed by a Dr. Leiber. The abortion took place at Eastern on February 24, 1993. The suit filed by Venus' family alleged that there was negligence in administering anesthesia, and failure to establish an airway. Brevital, fentanyl, and midazolam were administered in dosages and manners contrary to standards of practice, causing Venus to suffer a synergistic reaction.

Eastern's staff failed to promptly diagnose and attend to cardio-pulmonary arrest. Eastern's notes of 5:35 PM indicate "2:35 PM end of surgery ... we noticed patient's ashen color and the pulse oximeter tracing and digital readout were gone from the monitor." Emergency medical services were called. The reading of Venus' blood pressure at that time was 90/55; four minutes later it was recorded as being 146/62.

Venus was transported by ambulance to a hospital, accompanied by Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Goodman, and/or Dr. Jeffrey P. Moskowitz. However, the damage had already been done. Venus was left in permanent need of respirator, with profound brain damage. She was hospitalized a little over five months before being transferred to permanent nursing home care.

To further underscore Eastern's neglect of patients' needs, the suit also noted that although this was her 4th abortion, Venus had not been referred to a social worker.

Two other patients, Dawn Ravenelle and Dawn Mack, also died of complications of abortions done at Eastern Women's Center.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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Anniversary: Woman left paralyzed and mute by botched abortion dies in Maryland nursing home

On December 1, 1992, Suzanne Logan died in a Maryland nursing home, where she had spent the previous three years, mute and paralyzed. Suzanne died one month after winning a lawsuit against abortionist Gideon Kioko and the notorious Hillview abortion clinic. She never got the one thing she wished for -- to see her father again.

Suzanne had been moved to the nursing home after lapsing into a coma during the abortion. She awoke about four months later, permanently incapactitated. Local prolifers bought her a communication device and visited her, and she was eventually able to recall having gone to the abortion facility on September 9, 1989. Her abortion was performed by Gideon Kioko. She was 13 weeks pregnant.

There was no record of how much intravenous Brevital was administered to Suzanne, or who administered the drug. Suzanne was already unconscious on the table when Kioko and his nurse entered the procedure room. Kioko was being assisted by an unlicensed nurse, who noted that Suzanne's lips were turning blue. She told Kioko, who continued with the abortion procedure. There is no record that anybody monitored her vital signs or administered oxygen during the procedure.

The nurse summoned Barbara Lofton, who came into the room with Dr. Raymond Taylor, a doctor Hillview used to provide aftercare. Taylor began to attend to Suzanne. Eventually somebody summoned emergency medical services (EMS). The EMS personnel reported that the Hillview employees seemed "very confused and did not seem to know what they were doing." EMS staff also noted that Hillview staff had put an oxygen mask on Suzanne upside-down, so that she wasn't getting any oxygen. Suzanne was cyanotic (she had turned blue from lack of oxygen), her pupils were dilated. She was limp, and had no pulse and was not breathing. EMS workers managed to perform CPR and get Suzanne's heart and lungs working again, and transported her to a hospital.

Debra Gray also died after an abortion at Hillview. Hillview's owner, Barbara Lofton, had opened an abortion clinic in the District of Columbia, but had been closed down for operating without a license. So she'd moved two miles over the border into Maryland, where there were no regulations keeping her from running the facility. A former employee interviewed by 60 Minutes thought that Lofton was a doctor because she dressed like a doctor, answered the phone "Dr. Lofton," and performed medical tasks.

Anniversary: NAF abortion leaves woman in fatal coma

On March 11, 1989, 27-year-old Catherine Pierce underwent a safe, legal abortionat Atlanta Surgi-Center, which had at one time also done business as "Northside Women's Clinic." (Thus it is possible that Atlanta Surgi-Center is the same facility as the "Atlanta Northside" facility where Geneva Calton had undergone her fatal abortion in 1979.) Catherine's abortion was performed by Daniel McBrayer.

Catherine went into cardiac arrest while left unattended in recovery after her abortion. She was resuscitated, but remained comatose. State officials inspected the clinic and alleged "serious problems" after Catherine was injured. They cited this National Abortion Federation facility for administering "the same anesthesia dosages" to patients whose weights ranges from 107 to 167 pounds, inadequate record keeping, and inadequate supervision of patients.



State investigators indicated that they'd been turned away the first time they'd tried to inspect the facility, and were forced to stage a raid in order to obtain the records needed to investigate the mishap that later killed Catherine. The clinic complained that they'd only turned the state investigators away because they'd failed to display badges and a subpoena. They also complained to the press that the raid was "political harassment" due to the fact that an anti-abortion activist had complained to the state about the facility.

Among the patient care problems cited, the investigators also said that they found discrepancies between the number of fetuses sent to the disposal lab and the number of abortions performed. In 1989 Atlanta Surgi-Center had logged 1,748 abortions, but had only sent 155 fetuses for disposal. In 1988 they had logged 2,774 abortions, but only sent 155 fetuses for disposal. In 1987 they logged 1,104 abortoins but only sent 306 fetuses for disposal. The investigation into fetus disposal was prompted by local prolifers reporting that they had seen hundreds of fetuses in the clinic's dumpsters. Dr. Gay, the clinic director, denied the allegations.

On October 10, 1989, Catherine died in a nursing home in Tennessee without ever awakening from her coma. She left an 11-year-old daughter motherless.

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Coma after abortion

Another search.

Venus Ortiz was left in a coma after her 1993 abortion at National Abortion Federation member Eastern Women's Center. She remained comatose until her death December 16, 1998 at the age of 29. Dawn Ravenelle was 13 years old when her abortion at Eastern left her in a coma in 1985; she died a few weeks later.

Angela Scott and Deloris Smith, both teens, were left in fatal comas within an hour of each other at National Abortion Federation member Atlanta Women's Pavillion in 1979. Angela died in about a week; Deloris lingered for months before her death.



Catherine Pierce, the 27-year-old mother of a 11-year-old daughter, died in 1989 after six months in a coma. Her abortion had been botched at NAF member Atlanta Surgi-Center.

Seventeen-year-old Deborah Lozinski had languished for two months in a coma, hospitalized after an abortion at Medical Care Center in Woodbridge, New Jersey in 1985.

Suzanne Logan was left in a coma after her 1989 abortion at Maryland's Hillview abortion clinic. Suzanne awoke from her coma paralyzed and unable to speak. She remained institutionalized until her death in 1992.

Jacqueline Reynolds was left comatose by her abortion at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta on August 27, 1986. She died on September 5.

Mitsue Mohar went to Pacolma Lutheran Hospital in Los Angeles County for a D&C abortion on August 5, 1975. After the abortion, Mitsue went into convulsions then lapsed into a coma. She died on September 10 without ever regaining consciousness.

Robin Wells,mother of three children ages 6, 4, and 2, went for an abortion at Akron Center for Reproductive Health on July 15, 1981. She went into cardiac arrest and remained in a coma until her death on August 2.

Yvonne Tanner, a 22-year-old mother of one had an abortion performed July 10, 1984 at Inglewood; Yvonne went into a coma immediately after the abortion, and died August 14, 1984.

"Judy" Roe was a 42-year-old mother of four when she chose safe and legal abortion in 1970. Judy underwent the procedure, but went into cardiac arrest. Her heart was started again, but she remained in a coma for six days until her death on July 12.

Wilma Harris underwent a legal abortion June 15, 1974 at the hands of abortion guru Milan Vuitch. Vuitch and his staff had allowed Wilma to lapse into a coma and lie unattended for 12 hours before transferring her to the hospital. She died five days later.

Eurice Agbagaa, a 26-year-old immigrant from Ghana, went to Abram Zelikman for an abortion on January 7, 1989. Zelikman left his bleeding patient in the care of an untrained receptionist. Eurice lapsed into a coma, and died January 15.

Glenda Davis, age 31, mother of two, said that she underwent an abortion by Robert Hanson at Aaron Family Planning March 11, 1989. She fell into a coma and died three days later.

Cassandra Bleavins, a 20-year-old clerk, had an abortion performed on her at John Wesley Hospital on September 2, 1971. She bled heavily after the abortion, and was treated both as an inpatient and outpatient before slipping into a coma on September 17. She died the next day.

Lynn McNair, age 24, was 23 weeks pregnant when she was injected with saline by Dr. Edward Rubin at Jewish Memorial Hospital. She went into contractions and slipped into a coma. She died March 23.

"Beth" Roewas 23 years old when she traveled from Massachusetts to New York for an abortion in 1971. Instead of the amniotic sac, the saline went into Beth's bloodstream. Beth immediately began to have seizures and went into a coma. She was pronounced dead on December 29.

"Penny" Roe, a Colorado woman, drank pennyroyal oil to try to perform a safe, "natural" abortion. She went into a coma and died seven days later.

Laniece Dorsey, age 17, lapsed into a coma during an abortion at a Family Planning Associates Medical Group facility in Orange County, California, on February 6, 1986. She died later that day.

"Ellen" Roe underwent an abortion November 29, 1983, performed by Andre Nehorayoff. At 5:10 AM on December 3, Ellen was rushed to an emergency room. She was already in a coma upon admission. An hour and 10 minutes later, she was pronounced dead.

Christi Stile remains in a vegetative state after going into a coma during an abortion at a National Abortion Federation clinic in Colorado.

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