Shortly after having her baby shower, Crain began to feel unwell and developed fever, nausea and vomiting. She overcame her discomfort, but at 3 p.m., her family became concerned and decided to take her to the emergency room.
Crain’s boyfriend took her to the nearest hospital, where they waited almost four hours before being treated. At the first hospital, Crain was diagnosed with strep throat but, despite his complaints of acute abdominal cramps, his abdominal pain was not investigated. They gave her antibiotics and sent her home, according to ProPública.
That night, Crain’s pain intensified and he woke up his mother complaining of severe stomach cramps. Her mother rushed her to a second hospital, where doctors diagnosed Crain’s sepsis. However, the medical team confirmed that her six-month-old fetus still had a heartbeat and, assuring the family that she was stable, discharged her after giving her intravenous fluids, a single dose of antibiotics and Tylenol. Despite these treatments, his fever persisted, his pulse remained high, and his fetal heart rate was unusually fast.
The doctor at this hospital also noticed that she had a urinary tract infection and prescribed antibiotics before sending her home. Upon returning, Crain’s pain was relentless. While trying to go to the bathroom, he discovered that his underwear was stained with blood, a clear sign that something was very wrong. Her mother’s fears about a miscarriage seemed to be confirmed.
Early the next morning, they returned to a third hospital, where Crain continued to deteriorate and repeatedly said he felt like he was about to faint. Medical staff prescribed intravenous antibiotics, but the OB-GYN on duty reported that they could not find a fetal heartbeat. Finally, a second ultrasound was performed, which confirmed fetal death.
Crain’s condition had gotten so bad that she could not sign consent forms due to intense pain, so her mother had to sign on her behalf to allow an emergency cesarean section. Doctors were severely limited by Texas’s near-total ban on abortion, which restricts medical intervention unless the mother’s life is clearly and immediately at risk. Crain’s medical team could only intervene if her condition became serious enough to warrant removing the nonviable fetus.
Tragically, it was too late. Suspecting internal bleeding and a serious complication of sepsis called disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), doctors realized the severity of his condition. Crain was rushed to the ICU, but died hours later.
ProPublica reported that if Crain had needed an early delivery, the hospital was fully equipped to care for her baby. However, Texas’s restrictive abortion laws delayed the necessary intervention, leading to her premature death. Crain is now one of at least two Texas women who have died due to the limitations imposed by the state’s abortion ban.
Her story underscores the complexities and devastating consequences that restrictive abortion laws can impose as they limit timely medical intervention, putting the lives of women facing critical health issues during pregnancy at risk.
