As Texas lawmakers highlight a series of anti-abortion bills, tragic cases emerge like that of Priscilla Dray, a French woman who lost all four limbs after a botched abortion.
Dray, who underwent the procedure in 2011, developed a severe staph infection that went untreated despite her repeated visits to the hospital. In the end, she had to undergo emergency amputations, a case that anti-abortion advocates argue proves the dangers associated with abortion procedures. Stories like hers have fueled the debate over whether abortion is truly a "safe" medical procedure, as pro-choice advocates argue.
Dray was 35 at the time, and she shared that she went to the emergency room after undergoing the procedure because she was “suffering from fatigue and fever.” She was subsequently sent home without antibiotics. However, her second visit to the hospital resulted in legal action for “unintentional injuries.”
“My legs felt like pieces of wood,” she recalled during a recent court appearance. “I was massacred."
In Texas, abortions have been largely outlawed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. However, anti-abortion activists argue that more action is needed to combat illegal abortion pill distribution and out-of-state access. As such, lawmakers are working to pass bills that would significantly alter abortion in the Lone Star state.
The Woman and Child Protection Act would establish stricter enforcement mechanisms against illegal abortion pill websites, distributors, and those aiding in out-of-state abortions. Lawmakers argue that despite Texas’ abortion ban, residents are still accessing abortion pills through online sources, posing what they believe are significant health risks.
The Stop Tax-Funded Abortion Services, which has been sponsored by state Senator Donna Campbell (R) and state Rep. Candy Noble (R), seeks to prevent local governments from allocating taxpayer funds to cover abortion-related expenses, including travel costs for women seeking the procedure in other states.
