{"id":6722,"date":"2026-04-07T13:29:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/?p=6722"},"modified":"2026-04-07T13:50:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:50:33","slug":"post-dobbs-back-alley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/consistent-life.org\/blog\/index.php\/2026\/04\/07\/post-dobbs-back-alley\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There a Post-Dobbs Back Alley? The Record on Women\u2019s Abortion-Related Deaths"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Rachel MacNair<\/p>\n

I had just turned 14 when Roe v. Wade<\/em> came down. I reacted positively \u2013 it would get rid of back-alley butchers. Soon I realized it actually put a back-alley butcher back in business<\/a>. The problem wasn\u2019t the legal nature of abortion, but the nature of abortion, period.<\/p>\n

There were arguments<\/a> before Dobbs that abortion bans wouldn\u2019t have dire back-alley impacts that we didn’t already have before. But now we don\u2019t have to speculate about what would<\/u><\/em> happen. We can observe what did <\/u><\/em>happen.<\/p>\n

I commented<\/a> right after Dobbs<\/em> that we were about to have a \u201cnatural experiment\u201d \u2013 unlike a lab experiment, it\u2019s not set up on purpose, but it\u2019s still set up, so we can collect data. My post\u2019s first section made predictions on women\u2019s deaths. I document below that my predictions were just about right.<\/p>\n

ProPublica has been chomping at the bit to show abortion bans have deadly consequences for women. It won a 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service<\/a> for its coverage.<\/p>\n

If abortion bans are deadly for women, that would be alarming to those of us advocating them. So \u2013 is it true?<\/p>\n

ProPublica List<\/strong><\/h3>\n

(to date, April 2026; in chronological order by death date)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Name<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Date of Death<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n

Condition<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nMalpractice? \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Joselli Barnica<\/p>\n

09.07.21<\/td>\n

Wanted pregnancy, miscarriage<\/td>\nDelayed antibiotics for sepsis, etc.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Amber Thurman<\/p>\n

08.19.2022<\/td>\n

Legal Abortion<\/td>\nDelayed D&C at emergency visit 5 days later<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Candi Miller<\/p>\n

11.12.2022<\/td>\n

Abortion pill from online<\/td>\nFrom the online source, sloppiness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Porsha Ngumezi<\/p>\n

06.11.2023<\/td>\n

Natural Miscarriage<\/td>\nDelayed, treated with misoprostol when should have been D&C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nevaeh Craine<\/p>\n

10.29.2023<\/td>\n

Wanted pregnancy, infection<\/td>\nTwo hospitals and three visits, ignored symptoms<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tierra Walker<\/p>\n

12.26.2024<\/td>\n

Difficult pregnancy<\/td>\nSeveral ways of not following protocols<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joselli Barnica<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: \u201cA Woman Died After Being Told It Would Be a \u2018Crime\u2019 to Intervene in Her Miscarriage at a Texas Hospital<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Secular Pro-Life Video: Does Texas require doctors to wait until there’s no heartbeat to intervene in emergencies? (Josseli Barnica)<\/a><\/p>\n

Before Dobbs<\/em>, with a Texas abortion ban, Joselli had a wanted pregnancy but suffered a miscarriage at 17 weeks. \u00a0They delayed intervention until there was no heartbeat, citing the Texas heartbeat law. Unlike the following cases, ProPublica had the word of the medical team. They misinterpreted the law; the remedy is to educate doctors on this.<\/p>\n

After the D&C was finally done, doctors didn\u2019t confirm the fetal parts were all removed and sent her home with them still inside her. She got an infection. It caused her death. The doctors should have taken her concern seriously when she reported symptoms. There\u2019s certainly no abortion ban that keeps doctors from properly monitoring and treating an infection.<\/p>\n

Amber Nicole Thurman<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care<\/a><\/p>\n

Secular Pro-Life: Georgia Woman Dies After Delayed Treatment of Abortion Pill Complications (Amber Thurman)<\/a><\/p>\n

LifeNews.com: Leading OBGYN Believes Woman Died From Abortion Pill, Not Pro-Life Law<\/a><\/p>\n

Amber was a Georgia resident, past the state\u2019s gestational limit. She went to North Carolina to get the abortion pill regimen. Returning to Georgia, five days later she had complications. The doctors discussed but didn\u2019t do a clearly-indicated D&C to remove fetal remains. Since the twins were already dead, there was no legal issue. ProPublica attributed this delay to doctors\u2019 fears of the Georgia heartbeat law, without asking them what the reason for delay was.<\/p>\n

Candi Miller<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: Candi Miller Died Afraid to Seek Care Amid Georgia\u2019s Abortion Ban<\/a><\/p>\n

LifeNews.com: Candi Miller Died From the Abortion Pill, Not From an Abortion Ban<\/a><\/p>\n

This involved an online order of abortion pills. Of course that\u2019s dangerous. No check for ectopic pregnancy, which the pill wouldn\u2019t treat? No check for negative blood type to see if she needs a Rho-gam shot? Those who argue it shouldn\u2019t be banned should at least insist on better regulation and monitoring.<\/p>\n

Porsha Ngumezi<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: A Third Woman Died Under Texas\u2019 Abortion Ban<\/a><\/p>\n

Secular Pro-Life: ProPublica tries again: responding to claims about Porsha Ngumezi’s death<\/a><\/p>\n

Porsha Ngumezi bled heavily from a miscarriage and went to the emergency room. She wasn\u2019t seen for seven hours and then was given misoprostol instead of a proper D&C. After she died, the doctor\u2019s notes claim her bleeding was minimal, contradicting nurses\u2019 notes. Delaying the D&C for fear of the abortion ban? Administering misoprostol would also be against that ban.<\/p>\n

Nevaeh Craine<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: A Pregnant Teenager Died After Trying to Get Care in Three Visits to Texas Emergency Rooms<\/a><\/p>\n

Secular Pro-Life: Nevaeh Crain’s family says her death is being used for politics<\/a><\/p>\n

and ProPublica can’t see malpractice, only abortion bans (Neveah Crain)<\/a><\/p>\n

LifeNews.com: Nevaeh Crain Died Because of Poor Medical Care, Not From an Abortion Ban<\/a> and Neveah Crain\u2019s Family Blame Hospitals for Her Death, Not Texas Abortion Ban<\/a><\/p>\n

Nevaeh was happily 6 months pregnant. With symptoms of infection, she made three different visits to two different emergency rooms and couldn\u2019t get them to take her reports of symptoms seriously.<\/p>\n

Tierra Walker<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

ProPublica: In Texas, Tierra Walker Wasn\u2019t Offered an Abortion Before a High-risk Pregnancy Killed Her<\/a><\/p>\n

Secular Pro-Life: Interview with Dr. Christina Francis regarding the case of Tierra Walker<\/a><\/p>\n

LifeNews.com: Abortion Activists Exploit Pregnant Woman\u2019s Tragic Death to Lie About Abortion Bans<\/a><\/p>\n

Tierra had a high-risk pregnancy and so should have received better coordinated care than she did. ProPublica claims at 20 weeks she asked about terminating and was turned down. But at 20 weeks, terminating a high-risk pregnancy has its own medical risks. It\u2019s not like getting rid of the pregnancy gets rid of the risk. So doctors\u2019 judgment on the medical issue alone may have been correct. What we do know suggests that the medical risk management could have been better coordinated.<\/p>\n

Not on the List Because There Was No Ban to Blame<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Alexis Aguellos died February 6, 2025 from an amniotic fluid embolism as a complication of a 22-week abortion at Fort Collins Planned Parenthood.\u00a0State legislature testimony, heard in the video clip below,\u00a0shows the ambulance was called much later than it should have been.<\/p>\n