May 7: Bled to Death in Alabama

On May 7, 2020, prolifers outside West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa photographed a pale and weak woman being supported by a companion as she walks out of the clinic to a waiting vehicle. This is the last photograph taken of 29-year-old April Lowery before her death later that same day. 

Evidently April's companion believed that it was safe to drive her 59 miles home to Birmingham. She never made it there. 

Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue noted that April's autopsy showed that April had "led a difficult and tragic life." She appeared older than her 29 years. Calcium deposits were found on one of her heart valves. She had transverse scars across her left wrist, indicating at least one suicide attempt. This was a young woman who needed a lot of loving, supportive care. Instead, she was sent home with fatal injuries. As described in the autopsy:

There is a perforation of the left portion of the cervix below the cervical os. The perforation extends into the broad ligament with maceration of the lower uterine segment and vasculature of the broad ligament. This is associated with a massive hemoperitoneum (approximately 1-1/2 liters). The uterus contains an intact fetus (see 1068). 

In layman's terms, there was a hole in April's cervix that led to a severely damaged large ligament. The damage to the ligament included extensive damage to the blood vessels there. April died with about 1 1/2 liters of blood in her pelvic cavity. April's unborn baby was dead in her uterus. Operation Rescue provided an image illustrating the damage.

       Payne           

Operation Rescue concluded that the doctor who performed April's fatal abortion was octogenarian Louis T. Payne. Payne had been called out of retirement by the clinic operator. Gloria Gray, who had been unable to find a doctor to replace him. Payne, who reportedly would bring his little pug dog to work with him, retired again a few weeks after April's death. He voluntarily surrendered his license during the investigation. This move would halt any action of the medical board to look into his actions.

According to Operation Rescue, there was a criminal investigation of April's death.

Operation Rescue extensively covers the convoluted history of West Alabama Women's Center. 

Hemorrhage deaths from abortion simply shouldn't happen, according to a study published by David Grimes of the abortion-friendly Centers for Disease Control. Grimes long since stated that there was never any legitimate reason for an abortion patient to bleed to death. ("Fatal hemorrhage from legal abortion in the United States," Surgical Gynecology and Obstetrics, November, 1983) The articles states:

Deaths from hemorrhage associated with legal induced abortion should not occur. Yet hemorrhage was the third most frequent cause of death from legal abortion in the United States between 1972 and 1979.  .... Twenty-four women died from hemorrhage after legal abortion in the United States from 1972 to 1979.... Deaths from hemorrhage can be eliminated by preventing uterine trauma during abortion and by rapidly diagnosing and treating hemorrhage if it occurs.

To add to the tragedy, the clinic where April was fatally injured stands next door to a prolife pregnancy center where she could have gotten holistic help with whatever struggles she was facing.

The deadly facility was a member of the National Abortion Federation.

Thanks to Operation Rescue for these sources:

• Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences Report of Autopsy, 10MM01055, May 11, 2020
• "Death of woman after abortion at Tuscaloosa clinic investigated," AL.com, August 13, 2020