A woman was left seemingly near death after an abortion in March in Baltimore, Maryland — but many of the details are still unknown.
Operation Rescue reported that on March 3, 2023, 40 Days for Life participants saw a woman being wheeled out of Baltimore’s Hillcrest Clinic on a gurney. After much difficulty, Operation Rescue obtained some of the 911 audio, as well as the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) transcript.
Much of the 911 audio is impossible to hear, with words coming across as scrambled. Although the 911 call was incomprehensible, the CAD transcript provided more information. The 18-year-old woman woke up following the abortion, and was having seizures. Perhaps most alarmingly, he was experiencing what was described as “agonal breathing,” which is usually a dangerous sign of someone experiencing cardiac arrest or stroke and potentially near death. This is a unconscious reflex and is usually a sign that the heart is not rotating oxygenated blood:
The breathing associated with agonal breathing is not true breathing, but rather a brainstem reflex. Agonal breathing often occurs because the heart is no longer circulating oxygen-rich blood. In other cases, it may be because the lungs are not carrying enough oxygen.
If a person begins to breathe agonal, they should go to the hospital or receive emergency medical intervention immediately, unless they are in a setting intended for the end of their life. Although not always the case, agonal breathing may indicate death is imminent for the individual.
… Agonal breathing can be fatal due to lack of oxygen reaching the brain.
The CAD transcript also noted that the anesthesiologist was with the patient when he began “desatting,” or experiencing respiratory desaturation. This means that his blood oxygen levels are falling below normal levels. His condition is currently unknown.
Operation Rescue noted that Hillcrest has had anesthesia issues in the past, cited for various problems multiple times for incidents often involving conscious sedation; several nurses were cited for not having their nurse-anesthetist certifications.
“This very young woman, with her whole life ahead of her, is clearly fighting to survive after this negligent abortion mill killed her baby,” Operation Rescue President Troy Newman said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to him and his loved ones.”
