NC: 'Nightmare scenario': A mother's ordeal shows NC abortion law already is cruel.
When Christensen went to her doctor for her 20-week anatomy scan in January 2023, she ended up in a “nightmare scenario” that was fueled in part by North Carolina’s current abortion law, which makes abortions illegal after 20 weeks.
Christensen’s friends told her the anatomy scan was going to be an amazing experience. She was supposed to be able to see what her daughter looked like. During the scan, she watched the screen and couldn’t see much. She wondered if this was a different type of scan and the anatomy scan hadn’t happened yet.
Christensen’s stenographer left the room and came back with the doctor. There were concerns about fluid, she was told, and she was transferred to Duke Hospital to see a specialist, who explained that the child’s organs were failing. That meant Christensen’s organs could start failing, too.
The only way an abortion can occur legally past 20 weeks is to save the life of the mother. The doctors presented Christensen with two options: wait for the fetus to die on its own, putting Christensen’s life at risk in the process, or terminate the pregnancy. To terminate, Christensen would need to leave the state. Christensen considered the options.
At first, she saw it as a choice between two lives.
https://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article273235185.html#storylink=cpy
