Same day, two states, two dead women

Today marks the anniversary of two deaths on the very same day, of different women in different states. The only thing the two have in common is that they both thought safe, legal abortion would solve their problems.

I know very little about Shirley Williams. She was 30 years old when she underwent a safe and legal abortion in January of 1980. She suffered from infection and hemorrhage after her abortion. On January 12, 1980, she was pronounced dead, from hemorrhage.

I know more about 32-year-old Georgianna "Jeannie" English. She entrusted herself to former criminal abortionist Milan Vuitch, who (likely unbeknownst to Jeannie) had been operating his clinic without a license for two years when Jeannie English came to him for a safe and legal abortion on January 12, 1980.

Vuitch administered general anesthesia for Jeannie, and she never woke up. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she died. Vuitch settled with Jeannie's family for $150,000. When Vuitch was investigated, it was discovered that he kept patients overnight in his home (an unlicensed facility) which he designated "The Annexe." Inspectors also noted repeated violations of medical standards regarding sanitation and anesthesia. Vuitch also admitted during another case that he had lacked hospital admitting privileges since 1963.

Vuitch was also responsible for the 1974 abortion death of 17-year-old Wilma Harris.

Vuitch is one of three abortionists I know of who started out as criminal abortionists with clean records -- no patient deaths attributed to them -- who went on to kill two patient by performing the supposedly safer legal abortions. The others are Jesse Ketchum (Margaret Smith and Carole Schaner) and Benjamin Munson (Linda Padfield and Yvonne Mesteth).

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



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