Texas Women Have Their Day in Court: Zurawski v. The State of Texas
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By KITTY DOUGLAS | BIGTENTUSA
“I cannot adequately put in to words the trauma and despair that comes from waiting to either lose your own life, your child’s life or both.” Amanda Zurawaski, lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. the State of Texas
Not since 1973, has an American woman appeared in court to talk about how her inability to receive medically necessary abortion care has altered her life negatively. On July 19 and 20, 15 plaintiffs, two Texas obstetrician-gynecologists and 13 women, gathered in a packed courthouse in Travis County to tell their stories. Lawyers from the Center for Reproductive Rights filed the suit and argued on behalf of the plaintiffs in Zurawski v. the State of Texas. The infamous SB 8 and other Texas abortion laws contain exception for the life and health of the pregnant person but the vague wording of the laws about what qualifies as exceptions and the criminalization of performing abortions have led to confusion and fear for Texas women and their physicians. Physicians found to have violated Texas abortion laws face fines of at LEAST $100,000, up to 99 years in prison and revocation of their medical license.
Every single one of the plaintiffs’ story is harrowing including Amanda Zurawksi. At 18 weeks of her pregnancy, Amanda was denied abortion care at a Catholic hospital in Austin after experiencing a preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes (PPROM) because her doctors could still detect fetal cardiac activity. Three days later, Amanda was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening condition. Although doctors then preformed an emergency induction abortion, Amanda spent the next three days fighting fer her life in the ICU. Amanda survived, but the infection caused one of her fallopian tubes to close, permanently, resulting in her being forced to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) in an attempt to start a family.
