On July 20th, a 24-year-old woman named Tonya Reaves was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, leaving behind a fiancée and a one-year-old son. About twelve hours earlier she received a dilation and evacuation abortion at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Chicago.
According to Planned Parenthood’s web site, dilation and evacuation abortions typically take between 10-20 minutes and then women recover for about an hour. In Reaves’ case there were bleeding complications and she was kept at Planned Parenthood for more than 5 hours before she was taken to the hospital. While the coroner has yet to release Reaves’ official autopsy, statements suggest the abortionist at Planned Parenthood botched her abortion, leaving pieces of her unborn child inside her womb, and perforated her uterus, which eventually led to bleeding which was called “uncontrollable” an hour before her death.
Why did it take 5 hours for an ambulance to arrive when this procedure and its recovery typically take an hour and a half? If Planned Parenthood had called for an ambulance sooner, would Reaves still be alive?
These are questions Reaves’ family asked after they lost their loved one. In response, Planned Parenthood issued a statement which admits no responsibility and lauds the supposedly “high safety record” of abortion.
Tonya’s death is a tragedy which touched the lives of many. Every successful abortion ends the life of a baby preparing to be born and with every abortion there are risks. Potential complications for abortion include, but are not limited to, bleeding, hemorrhage, infection, uterine perforation, blood clots, cervical tears, incomplete abortion, and cardiac arrest.
Help is available for mothers and families facing an untimely pregnancy. Pregnancy help organizations and people around the state are ready and willing to provide assistance. Pregnant women in Michigan are never alone. 1-800-57WOMAN is a toll-free hotline which women can call anytime day or night to be connected to a caring, confidential help agency. Right to Life of Michigan also provides a complete listing of pregnancy and adoption services at www.rtl.org.
