Wednesday, February 19, 2025

February 19, 1986: Screw-up at Clinic Leads to Ectopic Death

Magnolia Reed Thomas was a 35-year-old mother of two when she went to Hedd Surgi-Center in Chicago for a safe, legal abortion performed by Rudolph Moragne on February 19, 1986. Moragne failed to note that the fetus was growing in Magnolia's fallopian tube, rather than in her uterus. 

After Magnolia was discharged from the clinic, the undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy ruptured, and Magnolia was rushed to the hospital. There, doctors did everything they could to save her, but she died from blood loss and shock on February 19, 1986.

This was Magnolia's third abortion. Multiple abortions are a known risk factor for ectopic pregnancy. Magnolia was also black, which raised the odds that she would die.

Even though, in theory, women who choose abortion should be less likely to die of ectopic pregnancy complications, experiences shows that they're actually /more likely to die, due to sloppy practices by abortion practitioners.

Another patient, Diane Watson, died of anesthesia complications in 1987 after she'd undergone a safe, legal abortion by Moragne at Hedd.

Hedd Surgi-Center was owned by Dr. Henry Pimentel, who as of 1990 had settled six malpractice lawsuits for a total of $1.8 million. He was suspended from the Medicaid program for providing "grossly inferior care" and pleaded guilty to criminal fraud for submitting false bills. 

Watch Fatal Failure to Diagnose on YouTube.
Watch Fatal Failure to Diagnose on Rumble.

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