A woman whose fetus developed a rare and almost always fatal disease has been thrust into the national spotlight after Louisiana rejected an abortion. Her ordeal comes as the fight over abortion rights continues at the state level, where access to the process is nearly impossible for some states.
Nancy Davis has three children and plans to have another. But she said her happiness turned to heartbreak earlier this month when her fetus was diagnosed with craniocele, a rare condition in which the skull does not develop.
The prognosis is dire: Most people with skullcaps are either stillborn or die quickly. Doctors recommended Davis terminate the pregnancy — but a hospital in Baton Rouge denied her request to have an abortion there.
“I’m so heartbroken,” Davis told CBS News. “And the only thing I can replay in my head is that I carried my baby and buried my baby.”
Her attorney, Ben Crump, cites Davis’ case as an example of what abortions are permitted under Louisiana’s vague laws. He called on the state legislature to declare a special session to clear up the confusion.
“Ms. Davis was one of the first women to be thrown into disarray as Louisiana rushes to restrict abortion. But she won’t be the last,” he said.
Louisiana is one of the 11 states in the nation with the toughest laws, banning nearly all abortions with few exceptions. All the states around it have similar restrictions — meaning people have to decide between traveling long distances or carrying a non-viable fetus.
“The past few weeks have been very painful,” she said. “Well, you know, it’s very emotional.”
The Louisiana Department of Health says its guidelines are evolving and it plans to add the skull to the list of conditions that would allow someone to have an abortion — but it may be too late for Davis. She told CBS News that she plans to travel to another state next week to seek surgery.
Caitlin Huey Burns
