"Texas officials claim the bans they passed protect 'life,' but there's nothing pro-life about them. I nearly died as a direct result of the anti-abortion restrictions in Texas."

These are the words of Amanda Zurawski, the lead plaintiff in the case the Center for Reproductive Rights filed this week against the state of Texas. Amanda and the four additional Texas women and two Texas physicians represented in this case are bravely sharing their stories to show that abortion bans such as those in Texas are causing serious harm to people facing severe complications during their pregnancies.

Together, we're holding Texas accountable, and we'll need your help.

Photo Credit: Rick Kern/Getty Images for the Center for Reproductive Rights

Amanda and her husband were so excited for the arrival of their baby, Willow. But just before Amanda’s 17th week of pregnancy, she experienced unexpected symptoms that led her to seek medical care. Her doctors informed her that she had cervical insufficiency and preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (i.e. her water broke prematurely), making the loss of her baby inevitable.

Amanda needed a standard health care procedure—an abortion—but she was denied one because of Texas' anti-abortion laws.

"I asked what could be done to ensure the respectful passing of our baby, and what could protect me from a deadly infection now that my body was unprotected and vulnerable. My health care team was anguished as they explained there was nothing they could do because of Texas' anti-abortion laws..."

Amanda was put in life-threatening danger because of Texas' extreme abortion laws. Texas' bans put pregnant people’s health, lives, and fertility at risk, and we're fighting back. Will you help us ensure we have the critical resources to fight for clients like Amanda?

Three days after Amanda heard the heart-wrenching news that she would lose Willow, she showed signs of infection and was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition. Although doctors then performed an emergency abortion, she spent the next three days in the ICU fighting for her life. Amanda survived, but beyond the psychological trauma she suffered, the infection caused one of her fallopian tubes to become permanently closed, compromising her future ability to have children.

"This is the fault of the Texas politicians who don't understand health care, who don't acknowledge that abortion is health care, and who have done nothing over months, and at this point years, to clarify the meaning of these laws," said Molly Duane, senior staff attorney for the Center.

This is the first lawsuit brought on behalf of women denied abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the constitutional right to abortion and cleared the way for states to ban it entirely. Your support will be critical as we take on Texas' bans.

In solidarity,

Center for Reproductive Rights