Team,

Yesterday, the State of Tennessee held a hearing on our case against the state’s abortion ban. Tennessee's extreme abortion ban has added a layer of trauma to these women's already harrowing experiences that simply should not exist.

Your support of the Center enabled us to work with the brave women who joined our lawsuit: we can't undo the trauma they underwent but are sharing their stories as we fight for other Tennesseans and those across the country bearing the burden of unconscionable abortion bans. 

We've shared these women's stories below to underscore Tennessee's disregard for pregnant people's human rights. As we await a ruling, I hope you will take a moment to learn more about this case and please forward this email to friends and family so they can better understand the real harm that abortion bans cause. 

—Center for Reproductive Rights

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Nicole Blackmon discovered she was pregnant just months after the murder of her teenage son. But at 15 weeks, her baby was diagnosed with a condition that made it unlikely her baby would survive the pregnancy. In addition to suffering from depression and anxiety, Nicole had health conditions that put her at high risk of having a stroke during labor and delivery. Without resources to travel to another state for an abortion, Nicole was forced to continue the pregnancy against her will until, at 31 weeks, she gave birth to a stillborn baby.

Allie Phillips was 18 weeks pregnant when she learned that her baby had multiple fetal diagnoses that made it unlikely her baby would survive the pregnancy, including a congenital condition of the brain. The continuation of the pregnancy posed risks to Allie's own health. Allie was able to raise the funds to travel to New York City, where she learned her baby had already died in utero, leaving her at a high risk of infection and blood clots. She was able to receive the abortion care she needed in New York.

Katy Dulong was diagnosed with cervical insufficiency early in her second trimester and told that she would inevitably lose the pregnancy. Though she asked to receive abortion medication to expel the pregnancy, she was instead sent home. Katy did not receive the abortion care she needed until 10 days later—when her cervix was fully dilated, all amniotic fluid had drained, and most of the fetus's body was in her vaginal canal. Katy’s doctors told her she was extremely lucky to have survived; without the abortion medication, she could have died within days.

Rebecca Milner was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned she had suffered pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and her baby was unlikely to survive. Continuing the pregnancy put her at risk of potentially life-threatening infection. She was able to travel to Virginia to obtain the abortion she needed. However, Rebecca still developed an infection that doctors said resulted from the delay in abortion care and needed emergency treatment for sepsis when she returned to Tennessee.  

Rachel Fulton learned from an ultrasound that her baby showed inadequate fetal development of the nervous system, lower spine, lungs, abdomen, feet, and hands, as well as fluid buildup in tissues and organs. The pregnancy was unlikely to survive to birth or long past birth, and continuing the pregnancy put Rachel at risk of developing mirror syndrome, a life-threatening complication. Rachel's grandmother had died in childbirth, a tragedy that had a lifelong effect on Rachel's father and his siblings. To safeguard her health and spare her family from such tragedy, she drove with her husband to Illinois to obtain abortion care. 

Monica Kelly was 12 weeks pregnant when her doctor told her that her pregnancy had Trisomy 13, a severe fetal condition, and was unlikely to survive to birth or would die shortly after birth. Monica's doctor warned her that continuing the pregnancy would put her at risk for preeclampsia and infection, among other conditions. Monica traveled to Florida to receive the abortion care she needed.

Kathryn Archer was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned that several severe fetal conditions, including irregular brain development and improperly developed organs, made it unlikely that her pregnancy would survive to birth. After struggling to find an appointment out of state, Kathryn obtained abortion care in Washington, D.C.