In a horrific true story that illustrates how abortion hurts women, too, a French mother had both of her feet, her right forearm, and her left hand amputated after her abortion.
The woman, Priscilla Dray, suffered these injuries three years ago, in 2011. She has just gone public with her story as her efforts to sue the hospital that treated her have not yet succeeded.
Ms. Dray claims that the hospital did not administer antibiotics to her in time, thus allowing septicemia to rage unchecked in her body until portions of all four limbs had died, requiring amputation. The septicemia was caused by an infection from her abortion.
Ms. Dray was married and already the mother of children. She and her husband thought they did not need a fourth child, and so they agreed on abortion. Little did they know how drastically the abortion would change their lives forever.
Not only did Ms. Dray and her husband both participate in the intentional killing of their child, but their decision also led to Ms. Dray’s permanent disfigurement and disability. While this situation is tragic for many reasons, it is a vivid illustration of the harm abortion causes.
Abortion takes an innocent life in cruel, inhumane ways. Babies are seen on ultrasounds, shrinking from the abortion devices – even during early abortions, which Ms. Dray’s almost certainly was. Babies are cut apart, limb by limb in other abortions. Science shows they may feel pain as early as five weeks, and certainly do by twenty weeks. Regardless of the method of abortion or the pain involved, one fact remains: abortion unjustly and tragically takes an innocent life.
Abortion also continually harms women – emotionally, psychologically, physically, and relationally. Men, too, suffer great harm from abortion. Men and women can both suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after abortion.
An extensive report on the facts and effects of abortion states:
“The results of the four largest record based studies in the world have consistently revealed that women with a known history of abortion experience higher rates of mental health problems of various forms when compared to women without a known abortion history. …
In a recent study…employing a nationally representative, racially diverse sample, controlling for prior psychological state and several other variables, as well as an extended time frame, women whose first pregnancies ended in abortion were 65% more likely to score in the “high risk” range for clinical depression, compared to women whose first pregnancy resulted in a live birth.
More information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after abortion and the negative effects of abortion on relationships and parenting can be found in the report, beginning on page 41.
The report also lists out many of abortion’s risks that are all too often hidden from women:
“The record reflects that abortion places women at increased risk of physical injury including the risk of: infection, fever, abdominal pain and cramping, bleeding, hemorrhage, blood transfusion with its subsequent risks, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary or amniotic fluid embolism, injury to the cervix, vagina, uterus, Fallopian tubes and ovaries, bowel, bladder, and other internal organs, anesthesia complications (which are higher with general anesthesia), failure to remove all the contents of the uterus (leaving behind parts of the fetus/baby or placenta), need to repeat the surgery, possible hospitalization, risk of more surgery such as laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy, possible hysterectomy (loss of the uterus and subsequent infertility), allergic reactions to medicines, mis-diagnosis of an intrauterine pregnancy with a tubal or abdominal pregnancy being present (which necessitates different treatment with medicines or more extensive surgery), possible molar pregnancy with the need for further treatment), emotional reactions (including but not limited to depression, guilt, relief, anxiety, etc.) death of the woman, and risk of a living, injured baby.”
A Live Action investigation found that even Planned Parenthood clinics that had sent women to the hospital after their abortions told women that “we don’t have any type of procedure where a woman would receive an injury.”
While we may feel shock, horror, and grief for Priscilla Dray because of her tragic loss, let us not forget the first tragic loss that was suffered: the loss of her irreplaceable, precious, and valuable baby. Neither her limbs nor her baby can be replaced. Ms. Dray’s horrific experience should serve as a tragic lesson to women everywhere.
Abortion simply isn’t worth it.
For help healing after an abortion, see these resources:
