Porsha Ngumezi, 31, a mother of two, died after being denied a life-saving emergency abortion procedure in Texas, a state with one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. His story, told by ProPúblicahighlights the tragic consequences of such laws and the fear they instill in healthcare providers.
In the spring of 2023, Ngumezi, 11 weeks pregnant, began bleeding profusely, a symptom consistent with a miscarriage. She drove herself to Sugar Land Methodist Hospital in Houston, where she was later joined by her husband, Hope. An ultrasound indicated a possible miscarriage, compounded by her blood clotting disorder, which raised her risk of serious complications. However, lacking prior prenatal records, the hospital was hesitant to confirm the gestational age of the pregnancy, a factor that could legally jeopardize its actions.
Over the next few hours, Ngumezi’s condition worsened. He fainted and required two blood transfusions because he was passing blood clots “the size of a grapefruit.” Medical experts said ProPública that a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure, the standard treatment to remove remaining fetal tissue and stop bleeding, was necessary. However, the hospital delayed, reportedly out of fear of violating Texas’ abortion ban.
I burst into tears when I got here. The speaker is a heartbroken husband. “We all know that pregnancies can end beautifully or horribly,” Hope told ProPublica. “Instead of implementing laws to make pregnancies safer, we create laws that put them back in danger.” www.propublica.org/article/pors…
-Irin Carmon (@irincarmon.bsky.social) November 25, 2024 at 7:15 p.m.
Finally, Dr. Andrew Ryan Davis, an obstetrician and gynecologist, arrived and administered misoprostol, a medication used to induce labor or treat postpartum hemorrhage. Experts criticized this choice as unsafe for someone with severe bleeding and a bleeding disorder. “I needed to go to the operating room,” said Dr. Elliott Main, a bleeding expert.
Ngumezi’s condition deteriorated further and almost 10 hours after arriving at the hospital, he died. The experts said ProPública that his death could be prevented at multiple points. “She is having significant blood loss and the doctor did not opt for aspiration,” said Dr. Daniel Grossman of UCSF.
Ngumezi’s case is part of a broader crisis. Maternal deaths in Texas increased 56% from 2019 to 2022, compared to an 11% increase nationally. Experts attribute this to Texas’ abortion ban, SB 8, which criminalizes procedures that could otherwise save lives.
His story is one of the many tragedies related to these laws. Other ProPublica Reports details similar cases, including women who narrowly survived after being denied emergency care. Journalist Amy Littlefield emphasized that restrictions on religious hospitals like Houston Methodist exacerbate the problem.
This is a heartbreaking and crucial report of a preventable death, but unfortunately, @propublica.org once again failed to mention a key detail: the hospital’s religious affiliation. (1/3)
—Amy Littlefield (@amylittlefield.bsky.social) November 25, 2024 at 7:43 p.m.
For Hope and her children, the loss is irreparable. “Instead of putting laws in place to make pregnancies safer, we create laws that put them back in danger,” she said. Her young children, she shared, sometimes mistake strangers for their mother, a heartbreaking reminder of the human cost of restrictive abortion laws.