Autopsy report details botched first trimester abortion that killed a young mom

Operation Rescue has obtained the autopsy report of a woman killed in a botched abortion in 2014. Kenniah Epps, 23, was a mother to one child, and was 11 weeks pregnant when she underwent a first trimester abortion procedure at Family Planning Associates (FPA) in Los Angeles, California. Tragically, the abortion took the life of Epps’ child and eventually, her own.

According to Operation Rescue’s autopsy report, Epps was originally sent home after what was considered a successful surgical abortion procedure. The most common surgical abortion committed in the first trimester is an aspiration abortion.

It is strongly recommended for the woman to undergo a pre-abortion ultrasound to determine gestational age and to rule out any potential complications, like ectopic pregnancy. After that, the abortionist manually dilates the woman’s cervix, and then uses a powerful suction vacuum to forcibly remove the preborn baby from his mother’s womb. Afterwards, the abortionist uses a curette to make sure nothing was left behind.

1st Trimester Surgical Abortion: Suction (Aspiration) D & C

Though aspiration abortions are less dangerous than abortion procedures committed later in pregnancy, they still carry considerable risk. This includes damage to the uterus, cervix, intestines, bladder, and nearby blood vessels. There is also risk of hemorrhage and infection. Additionally, the damage to the uterus and cervix can make it difficult for a mother to successfully carry a future pregnancy to term, and increases future risk of uterine rupture due to scar tissue.

In Epps’ case, the abortionist didn’t immediately register any complications, and sent her home. However, she began experiencing severe abdominal pain the next day, along with heavy bleeding, and she was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Once there, Epps was given morphine for the pain, and stated she was unable to urinate. Once a catheter was placed, medical staff noticed that her urine was bloody. Epps was eventually found to have pancytopenia, a condition in which the body lacks enough blood cells and platelets. A CT scan also revealed that she had an enlarged uterus.

READ: They lost their family members to legal abortion. They know it isn’t as ‘safe’ as they were told.

From there, she was transferred to another hospital, with doctors realizing she needed a higher level of care than they could provide. There, she was found to be tachycardic, meaning her heart was racing, and she was given Narcan to counteract the morphine given to her previously. She was also treated for blood loss, but as doctors begin investigating to see whether or not there were any signs of a botched abortion, Epps’ mental state began to deteriorate.

Epps, who has a history of asthma, eventually became unresponsive, and was intubated to help her breathe. She eventually went into cardiac arrest, and died on March 16, 2014.

In the autopsy report, it was found that Epps died due to hemorrhage from the abortion. She was found to have endometritis and myometritis, or inflammation of the uterine lining and muscular layers of the uterus, and blood was found in her abdominal cavity, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. While this usually indicates a perforation, in this case, the autopsy report found that the hemorrhaging likely occurred where the curette scraped her endometrium.

“First trimester abortions are supposed to be among the safest of all surgical procedures, but that obviously wasn’t the case for Kenniah Epps or for other women who have been seriously injured or have died from sloppy or incompetent first trimester abortions,” Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said in a statement, adding, “Any woman who thinks that can never happen to her should think again.”

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