In Houston, Texas, a 28-year-old woman died following a miscarriage, with medical experts asserting that her death was preventable due to the state’s restrictive laws regarding reproductive healthcare. Josseli Barnica was admitted to HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest experiencing severe pain from a deadly infection after her miscarriage progressed. Doctors, however, were unable to provide her with treatment until the fetus no longer had a detectable heartbeat due to the Texas Heartbeat Act, which went into effect on September 1, 2021.
Barnica’s husband shared in an interview that medical staff delayed treatment, stating, “They had to wait until there was no heartbeat. It would be a crime to give her an abortion.” The controversial law limits medical intervention until a fetal heartbeat is undetectable, putting both maternal and fetal health at risk in cases of miscarriage.
On September 3, 2021, just two days after the law was implemented, Barnica learned that she was experiencing a miscarriage while pregnant with her second child, having a one-year-old daughter at home. During her hospital stay, medical staff monitored her condition; however, she suffered for over 40 hours in pain due to the infection before the heartbeat ceased, leading to the delivery of the fetus. Following the delivery, she was told her bleeding was within normal ranges and was sent home.
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