Pre-Roe Safe-n-Legal Anniversary

"Amanda" was 19 years old when she traveled from Indiana to New York for a legal abortion in 1970. She was 12 weeks pregnant. The doctor performed the abortion on September 3. He was unable to remove any of the fetus or placenta. For some reason, he did not suspect a problem. He discharged Amanda and she returned home.

Upon her return home, she suffered from pain, nausea, and vomiting, so she sought care from a physician in her community. She was admitted to the hospital with a perforated uterus. Her doctor performed a lapartotomy, and found that the fetus was still inside Amanda's perforated uterus. The abortion was completed and the hole in her uterus was repaired.

After the surgery, she had a series of complications beginning with difficulty breathing. On September 10, doctors performed a hysterectomy. She continued to be treated in the hospital, but despite all their efforts she died on September 22.

Other women and girls who died of legal abortions before Roe include

• Cassandra Bleavins, 1971
  
• Twila Coulter, 1972
  
• Margaret Davis, 1971
  
• Gwendolyn Drummer, 1972
  
• Janet Forster, 1971
  
• Betty Hines, 1971
  
• Denise Holmes, 1970
  
• Sara Lint, 1970
  
• Natalie Meyers, 1972
  
• Katherine Morse, 1972
  
• Maria Ortega, 1970
  
• Erika Peterson, 1961
  
• "Alice" Roe, 1970
  
• "Amy" Roe, 1971
  
• "Annie" Roe, 1971
  
• "Andrea" Roe, 1971
  
• "Anita" Roe, 1971
  
• "April" Roe, 1971
  
• "Audrey" Roe, 1971
  
• "Barbara" Roe, 1971
  
• "Beth" Roe, 1971
  
• "Connie" Roe, 1972
  
• "Danielle" Roe, 1972
  
• "Judy" Roe, 1970
  
• "Julie" Roe, 1972
  
• "Kimberly" Roe, 1970
  
• "Monica" Roe, 1971
  
• "Robin" Roe, 1972
  
• "Roseanne" Roe, 1971
  
• "Roxanne" Roe, 1972
  
• "Sandra" Roe, 1971
  
• "Sheryl" Roe, 1970
  
• "Tammy" Roe, 1971
  
• "Vicki" Roe, 1971
  
• LaSandra Russ, 1971
  
• F.S., 1970
  
• Stella Saenz, 1968
  
• Carole Schaner, 1971
  
• Margaret Smith, 1971
  
• Kathryn Strong, 1972
  
• Cheryl Vosseler, 1969

The bodies were already piling up, mostly in New York and California due to their extremely lax abortion laws, long before Roe came down the pike.

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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