As a leukemia patient, “Selena” was already facing a battle for her life. She didn’t know that her cancer wouldn’t kill her, but a “safe and legal” first-trimester abortion would.
Selena suffered from poorly differentiated lymphocytic leukemia and was discovered to be pregnant sometime between 1972 and 1978. She was likely scared and may have also feared the effects of cancer medications on her child. At the time, it was not uncommon for pregnant cancer patients to be told to have an abortion, so she probably thought she had no choice. At eight weeks pregnant, she was put through a suction abortion and surgically sterilized to prevent her from becoming pregnant again.
Leukemia weakens the immune system, making post-abortion infection more hazardous for Selena than it would have been for a healthy client. Instead of improving her prognosis, the abortion made her sicker. She contracted an infection, developed sepsis and did not survive.
Ironically, research later found that surgical abortion for pregnant cancer patients is not associated with higher chances of maternal survival at all. Today, well-established treatments exist for pregnant cancer patients and doctors are usually able to save babies while still effectively treating the cancer patient.
1 comment:
I guess you aren't interested in the women I have. I wish I had your email, but I'll post for you a couple of interesting ones. Most of the ones I have are from Connecticut, but a few from Rhode Island, several from Texas, a few from Utah and Pennsylvania.
Here is a sad one. In 1906, Sarah M. Jennings was a 27 year old waitress in Philadelphis. She was born to James and Mary Ann Carney Jennings in County Mayo, Ireland in 1878.
She died at 5:40 am on March 4 1906 in the German Hospital of septicemia following a criminal abortion, perps unknown.
Sarah had several brothers and sisters, but her youngest was Catherune who was born in 1887 in Ireland. In 1912, she married David Rogers in Philadelphia. They had a son in 1913. For reasons we do not know, Catherine didn't want another child.
Catherine died on October 10, 1917 of peritonitis following a self induced abortion.
The sisters are buried in Holy Cross Cemetary.
If you want the others along with death certificates, coroner's reports and other supporting documents, just email me at penelope72206@gmail.com.
Have a good evening!
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