Tragic Loss: How Texas Abortion Laws Left a Woman in Critical Need Untreated

[Social Media]

 

On September 3, 2021, Josseli Barnica lay in a hospital bed in Houston, facing the devastating news that the sibling she had hoped to give her daughter would not survive. Just 17 weeks into her pregnancy, she was experiencing an unavoidable miscarriage. Her fetus was in the process of emerging, its head pressed against her cervix, and medical records indicated the miscarriage was “in progress.” According to over a dozen medical experts consulted by ProPublica, doctors should have acted swiftly to help her, either by expediting delivery or clearing her uterus to prevent a potentially fatal infection.

 

When Barnica’s husband hurried from his job to the hospital, she shared what the medical team had told her: “They had to wait until there was no heartbeat.” Barnica’s husband recounted this in Spanish to ProPublica, adding, “It would be a crime to give her an abortion.” Texas law strictly limits actions that could terminate a fetal heartbeat, even in cases where a miscarriage is underway and the pregnancy is no longer viable. This legal limitation left Barnica enduring 40 excruciating hours as her body was exposed to infection while doctors withheld care.

 

Three days later, she succumbed to infection after delivering. Barnica’s tragic story highlights a dire consequence of Texas’s restrictive abortion policies, which critics argue deter doctors from intervening even when necessary to save the life of the pregnant person. ProPublica identified Barnica as one of at least two Texas women who died under similar circumstances, where delayed care during miscarriages contributed to fatal outcomes.

 

Neither of these women had sought an abortion; they simply needed urgent medical attention. Although supporters of the laws argue that they safeguard both fetal and maternal lives, in practice, many physicians hesitate to act out of fear of prosecution, loss of medical licenses, and possible imprisonment.

 

ProPublica’s investigation into Barnica’s death underscores the human toll these laws can have. Her story, which experts called “preventable,” was reviewed by more than a dozen specialists who examined summaries of her hospital and autopsy records. Experts described her death as “horrific,” “astounding,” and “egregious.” The doctors who oversaw Barnica’s care at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest declined to comment, though HCA Healthcare stated that it follows state and federal laws, leaving care decisions to physicians’ “independent judgment.”

 

Texas, like other states, has a maternal health committee to assess deaths like Barnica’s and develop preventive measures. However, these reviews are confidential, and as of now, the committee has not completed its assessment of cases from 2021, the year Barnica passed away. Filling in these gaps, ProPublica pursued a thorough examination, analyzing death data to pinpoint Barnica’s case, obtaining family interviews and medical records, and consulting a team of experts on the care she received.

 

After reviewing a timeline of her hospital records and the summary compiled by ProPublica, every consulted expert agreed that forcing Barnica to wait until the fetus’s heartbeat ceased violated medical standards. They asserted that withholding intervention created a critical window for infection to take root. Experts noted that Barnica’s life could likely have been spared if immediate intervention had been provided. Dr. Susan Mann, an obstetric care specialist and patient safety expert at Harvard University, remarked, “If this was Massachusetts or Ohio, she would have had that delivery within a couple hours.”

 

Barnica’s tragic passing reveals the unintended, often deadly consequences of abortion restrictions on miscarriage management. Her story raises urgent questions about the ethical responsibilities of healthcare providers and lawmakers in Texas and similar states, emphasizing the need for policies that prioritize patient safety and timely medical intervention.

 

Based on a report by CNN 2024-11-04

 

 

 

[Tug]

They just killed another one a 18 year old prolife kid they were afraid to treat her when she miscarried her mom was begging them to help her daughter she’s dead now.

[black tabby12345]

Victim of the Empty Public Stance.

Pro-Life movement to force someone to  die needlessly?

Absurd contradiction at its worst.

[Thingamabob]

Abortion on demand is a complex issue, but in the cases highlighted here the poor women who were suffering should have received immediate treatment. RIP.

[impulse]

I wonder if there's any significance to the fact that this tragedy happened in 2021 and it's just now being "reported" less than a week before the election.

 

And no reports of the thousands of kids that are living happy lives after not being aborted...

 

[pattayasan]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

I wonder if there's any significance to the fact that this tragedy happened in 2021 and it's just now being reported less than a week before the election.

 

And no reports of the thousands of kids that are living happy lives after not being aborted...

 

Because the statute of limitations on reminding people of the consequences of religious extremism has passed?

[impulse]

3 minutes ago, pattayasan said:

Because the statute of limitations on reminding people of the consequences of religious extremism has passed?

 

a) Because this isn't a news report.  It's a blatant political message.

 

b) Tragic as this story is, there's been thousands of kids not killed, and living their lives because of the same laws.

 

[pattayasan]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

a) Because this isn't a news report.  It's a blatant political message.

 

b) Tragic as this story is, there's been thousands of kids not killed, and living their lives because of the same laws.

 

 

I'd stop digging now if I were you.

[impulse]

1 minute ago, pattayasan said:

I'd stop digging now if I were you.

 

You'd think that CNN wouldn't have to dig 3+ years in the past to come up with an instance where someone was harmed by the laws that are saving thousands of kid every year.

 

[pattayasan]

2 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

You'd think that CNN wouldn't have to dig 3+ years in the past to come up with an instance where someone was harmed by the laws that are saving thousands of kid every year.

 

 

OK, How about Trump recounting Molly Tibbetts' death 6 years later?

[animalmagic]

Abortion and Crime, Revisited - Freakonomics

 

A very interesting article based on an original theory that reduced abortion rates resulted in increased crime rate as the kids, who were realistically unwanted, became adolescents and young adults.  There has been a lot of in depth research on this.

[impulse]

5 hours ago, pattayasan said:

OK, How about Trump recounting Molly Tibbetts' death 6 years later?

 

Does Trump masquerade as a news outlet like CNN does?

 

[RocketDog]

On 11/4/2024 at 10:05 PM, impulse said:

 

Does Trump masquerade as a news outlet like CNN does?

 

Yes.