August 13, 1986: Safe and Legal at Fake Clinic in Los Angeles

Background on Her [FAKE] Medical Clinic

Her Medical Clinic was actually no longer a clinic in 1986. Maria Soto had died after a safe and legal abortion there before the state shut the place down. Owner Leo Kenneally solved his business problem by reopening the facility as his private medical practice. He continued to perform abortions, and contracted with at least one other doctor, Mahlon Douglas Cannon, to perform abortions there.

The fake clinic was reportedly kept "in a filthy and unsanitary condition."

The Unfortunate Donna Heim

Donna Heim

Donna Kay Heim, a 20-year-old nursery school teacher, went to the fake clinic on July 28, 1986. She was evaluated and determined to be 19 weeks pregnant. She did not return for an abortion until August 11, when she had laminaria dilators inserted. By that time she was 21 weeks pregnant.

She returned the next day for the procedure, accompanied by her sister. 

Donna told staff that she had asthma, and she noted this on her forms when she filled them out. Despite this pre-existing condition, a nurse anesthetist (CRNA) administered general anesthesia, using Brevital and nitrous oxide, for her safe and legal abortion to be performed by Cannon. 

He had not performed a proper pre-operative examination, and had not done an updated assessment of her condition as appropriate for her asthma.

Shortly after administering the drugs, the CRNA had trouble ventilating Donna by mask because of bronchospasm or laryngospasm. Cannon continued with the procedure for at least four or five more minutes before helping the nurse anesthetist to try to restore Donna's breathing. However, rather than intubate the patient, perform CPR, or administer appropriate medications, Cannon attempted to revive her by using the Heimlich maneuver. When that didn't work, he lay her down flat and stuck his fingers in her mouth to try to open her airway.

When that didn't work, he attempted to perform a tracheotomy, but was unable to establish an airway. He continued attempts to establish an airway for another two minutes before finally calling an ambulance.

Donna's sister, who was in the waiting room, became alarmed at the intense staff activity she noticed, and questioned a staffer about her sister. She was reassured that Donna was fine. The sister saw an ambulance pull up to the building and stepped outside, where she observed her sister being transferred into the emergency vehicle. Donna's sister followed the ambulance to a nearby hospital, which summoned the comatose young woman's parents.

Donna died the next day without regaining consciousness. 

The Investigation

Dr. Mahlon Cannon

An investigation was sparked, and an administrative law judge ruled that Cannon was negligent in continuing with the abortion despite the patient's respiratory distress. The judge also found that Cannon often failed to do medical exams, take medical histories, or administer standard tests prior to abortions. He was found to have committed acts of negligence in the care of eight abortion patients. 

In one case, he sent a hemorrhaging woman home. When she reported to a hospital, staff there called Cannon, who advised them to discharge his patient with instructions to return to his office in a week or two for a check-up. The hospital doctors, fortunately, decided to admit the young woman. During emergency surgery they discovered that Cannon had so severely damaged her uterus that she needed a hysterectomy. She was only 19 years old.

Deputy Attorney General Linda Vogel, who presented the case against Cannon, told the Los Angeles Times, "There's nothing esoteric here. What he failed to do are things that are learned in the first year of medical school."

The board also faulted Keneally, who evidently also had opportunities to properly resuscitate Donna but for some reason did not do so. 

Reflections of the Family

"Her Medical Clinic," a fake clinic with a shameful death toll

Donna's father, Richard Heim, told the Sacramento Bee, "I honestly thought that within a month or two the man would be in prison for manslaughter. When you go to the cemetery to visit your daughter, there's no way you can explain that, and this guy's just kicking back and making more money."

Donna's mother, Barbara Heim, told the Daily News of Los Angeles County, "I thought they'd close the door so no one else would die." But a month after Donna's fatal abortion Liliana Cortez, another woman with asthma, also died after an abortion at Her Medical Clinic. This time it was Keneally performing the abortion and, like Cannon did with Donna, he continued with the abortion even after his patient had stopped breathing. Michelle Thames would die at the fake clinic in 1987 after being improperly resuscitated. 

Watch One of Many Deaths at a Fake Clinic on YouTube.

Sources:

• "State Panel Accuses MD of Negligence in 3 Deaths," Los Angeles Times, May 5, 1990
• Medical board documents in case L-50192
• "Physician in Abortion Case Loses License: Health care: Medical board says Dr. Mahlon D. Cannon was incompetent and negligent in cases of eight women, including one who died,"  Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1991