March 6, 1970: A Lingering Death After Safe and Legal Abortion

A 16-year-old girl underwent a second-trimester saline abortion on August 26, 1969. A journal article on her death identifies her as "F.S." Life Dynamics identifies her as "Fay" on their "Blackmun Wall" as having been killed by a legal abortion.

Faye developed an infection and symptoms of meningitis after her abortion. She continued to be treated for ten days before she was transferred to another hospital in San Francisco for further treatment.

Doctors performed two heart valve replacements for Faye, and had scheduled her for yet another before she died on March 6, 1970. The cause of death was severe congestive heart failure and pneumonia.

Source: "Medical and Surgical Complications of Therapeutic Abortions," Stewart, Goldstein, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 40:4, October 1972, 547