Pro-Life Group: Planned Parenthood Did Not Call 911 After Botched Abortion
A pro-life group claims that a Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago did not directly place a 911 call when a young woman's abortion procedure was botched.
Operation Rescue confirmed with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications for the City of Chicago that only one call was placed from the clinic on July 20 but that call did not involve Tonya Reaves, who died that night.
"This information shows gross negligence in the way Planned Parenthood managed Reaves' medical emergency. Delays in getting her the care she needed were intentional. It crosses the line into what is likely criminal conduct," said Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy advisor for Operation Rescue, in a statement Tuesday.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Sullenger is calling for a criminal investigation.
According to documents obtained by CBS Chicago last month, Reaves began hemorrhaging after receiving a second-trimester dilation and evacuation abortion at 11 a.m. that day at the S. Michigan Ave. clinic.
It was not until 4:30 p.m. when a fire department ambulance took the 24-year-old woman to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Doctors performed an ultrasound, then another D&E procedure but more problems arose. Another ultrasound was performed at which point they discovered a perforation. At 10:12 p.m. an "uncontrollable bleed" was discovered when she was taken back to surgery.
Reaves was pronounced dead at 11:20 p.m.
Operation Rescue has obtained the recording from the one call placed by the Planned Parenthood clinic that day. The call was made at 12:43 p.m., nearly two hours after Reaves' abortion. During the call, the clinic employee reported that a 16-year-old patient was "physically assaulted" by her mother. The employee requested a police car to come by the clinic.
The dispatcher on the 311 call informed the employee to call 911 next time a police car is requested so that time is not wasted with 311.
"This new information confirms that Planned Parenthood intentionally ignored instructions given to them earlier in the day by an Emergency Dispatcher and refused to employ the fastest means of getting help for their dying patient," Sullenger stated.
"In addition to waiting five and a half hours to get Reaves to the hospital, the further delay caused by refusing [to] call 911 as instructed could have been the difference between life and death."
Reaves' death was ruled an accident.
Planned Parenthood of Illinois President and CEO Carole Brite released a statement, offering their "deepest sympathies" to the family while affirming that legal abortion services have "a very high safety record."
Some pro-lifers, meanwhile, have called for an investigation and regulation, citing the clinic's negligence.
Pastor Ceasar LeFlore, Midwest director of Life Education and Resource Network, commented earlier that the clinic "is clearly not equipped to provide a second trimester abortion or to respond to an emergency situation."
