Woman says Texas abortion law prevented her from getting timely miscarriage care

A woman in Texas said after finding out she had a miscarriage, her doctor refused to perform the necessary medical procedure, which means she carried her dead fetus for two weeks until she found a doctor who would help her.

Marlena Stell and Ab DeSilva have always wanted a little brother or sister for their daughter, Adelina. Instead, what they said they got was a nightmare because of a Texas anti-abortion law.

“I get so angry that I was treated this way because of laws that were passed by men who have never been pregnant and never will be,” Stell said.

Her nightmare started out as a dream come true. After months of trying, she became pregnant late last summer.

“We were super-excited because we didn’t think I could get pregnant,” Stell said.

An ultrasound at 7 and 1/2 weeks showed all was well. But at an ultrasound two weeks later showed something different.

“She said there is no heartbeat. There is no viable pregnancy,” Stell said.

Stell asked her doctor for a standard treatment: a surgery to remove the fetal remains. She said her doctor refused.

That surgery, commonly known as a D and C, is the same procedure used to abort a living fetus.

“She said, ‘Well, because of the new law that’s passed, you’re going to have to get another ultrasound for me to be able to even do anything for you,’” Stell said.