Safe and Legal in 1979, 1983, and 1988

One of Four Deaths in a Miami Clinic, 1979

Ruth Montero, age 23, underwent a safe and legal vacuum abortion of her 8-week pregnancy, under general anesthesia, August 7, 1979, at Women's Care Center in Miami. The abortion was performed by Dr. Elisa Avila. Ruth awoke from anesthesia in the recovery room, and went into convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest. Avila attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before calling the ambulance. Ruth was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital She died from hemorrhage, and a prolapsed mitral valve.

Ruth was the first of four women to die at Women's Care Center in addition to multiple women who sued the clinic alleging that they suffered potentially fatal injuries. One woman suffered undiagnosed punctures to her uterus and bowels in 1980. Maura Morales died in 1980. A woman suffered a ruptured uterus in 1981. Another woman needed a hysterectomy due to a large laceration in her uterus in 1982. Myrtha Baptiste died December 18, 1982, and Shirley Payne died on January 4, 1983.

The clinic was owned by Hipolito Barreiro, trained in Argentina and West Africa, but not licensed in U.S. Barreiro was accused of practicing without a license and tampering with witness. (See new sources below)


Safe and Legal in Connecticut, 1983

Mary Ives was 28 when she had an abortion 19 weeks into her pregnancy. She was admitted to W.W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, for treatment of complications of the abortion, but her heart and lungs failed due to amniotic fluid embolism (amniotic fluid that got into Mary's bloodstream). Mary was pronounced dead on August 7, 1983.

Safe and Legal in Mississippi, 1988

Teresa Smith was 31 years of age when she submitted to a D&C abortion in Mississippi. She went into cardio-respiratory arrest from a pulmonary embolism and was pronounced dead at a local hospital on August 7, 1988.

Ruth Montero sources:

• "Woman, 23, Dies After Abortion," Miami Herald, August 8, 1979
• "Death Traced to Heart Valve," Miami Herald, August 9, 1979
• "Chronology of Claims Against Women's Care Center," Miami Herald, January 7, 1983