Late Abortion Saves Lives

Cecily Kellogg, an RH Reality Check blogger, has written an amazing post on RHRealityCheck.org and I simply had to share it! In Ms. Kellogg's honest and intimate depiction of the sudden complications that arose during the beginning of 3rd trimester (of her very-wanted pregnancy in 2004), she outlines the express obligation we all have to continue the fight for safe, legal, and accessible abortion - at any stage of pregnancy.

Here is part of her story:

"I was in advanced kidney failure. My blood pressure was skyrocketing, and it could not be controlled with medications. My liver was beginning to decline. The horrific headache I was experiencing could no longer be treated with pain medications because they were afraid it would depress my ability to breathe when I began to have the seizures they expected at any moment. I would soon likely suffer a stroke or a heart attack. In other words, I was going to die unless the pregnancy was terminated. Immediately."

She later goes on to write:

"With the help of other women like me, I grieved. I healed. I tried again, and in June of 2006, my wild and fierce daughter Victoria was born. As I healed, I came to realize how lucky I was. Yes, I said lucky. This was in 2004, before the Partial Birth Abortion Ban became law, and my doctors were able to move quickly to save my life without worrying about breaking the law. My doctor knew the procedure and was willing to perform it; something that has already become rare and will be rarer still if doctors have to put their lives on the line to perform this life saving medical procedure. If it's you or your daughter, will you be so lucky?"

Take the time to read the entire post and if you have a story of your own, please feel free to use this blog as a space to share it. The more we are able to demystify the need for safe, legal and accessible abortion, the stronger all women will be.