Kansas abortion amendment would add to families’ pain during personal tragedies

As a high-risk obstetrician, my heart fell when I learned late last month that the Legislature voted to place a flawed and dangerous constitutional amendment that could remove Kansans’ right to abortion on the 2022 primary ballot.

The same week this bill was introduced, I cared for a kind, young family, whom I will call Jane and John. Jane was pregnant with her and John’s first baby, and they were over the moon. But unfortunately, the fetus has a severe condition called Trisomy 13, a genetic condition associated with severe birth defects and significant intellectual disability. Median life expectancy with Trisomy 13 is just seven to 10 days, and very few babies with this condition live past their first year of life. When they do survive, they require ventilators, feeding tubes, corrective surgeries and frequent visits to the hospital. Because of the abnormal pregnancy, complications for the mother — including her possible death — increase when the fetus is affected by this condition. There is no cure for Trisomy 13.

When I told them about the diagnosis, John and Jane were heartbroken. Jane sobbed uncontrollably, in that body-shaking and gut-wrenching way that mothers do when they know that no matter what, they are going to lose their child. We talked about all of their options, including abortion. They left my office in silence, knowing they faced an extremely difficult choice that most people will never have to make.

It was later that day that I learned that this legislation — House Concurrent Resolution 5003, also inappropriately known as the “Value Them Both Act” — was quickly moving through the Legislature. I thought immediately about John and Jane. I sheepishly called them at home to ask for permission to share their story with Kansas lawmakers, so that politicians might understand the difficulties my patients face, and how political interference makes their lives even more challenging. Jane and John’s response was immediate: “Yes. People need to know this can happen to anyone.”

John and Jane’s strong desire to help others by sharing their story in the middle of their grief is truly admirable. However, my patients should not have to share their deeply private lives and decisions with others so that their own health care can be protected. They should be allowed uninterrupted time to consider their options, the privacy to grieve, and the ability to choose the path that is right for their family.

As the battle over abortion in Kansas inevitably heats up in the months to come, please remember that for every family brave enough to share a personal story, there are many more stories that go untold. Each of these families deserves privacy and respect.

We cannot begin to know all that goes into each and every person’s decision about their lives. We can’t put these families into a one-size-fits-all box or a one-size-fits-all piece of legislation.

When the time comes, remember these patients and the stories they have courageously chosen to share. Abortion was an incredibly personal decision for them, and should be treated as such.

This story was originally published February 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kansas abortion amendment would add to families’ pain during personal tragedies."