Austin couple speaks out after traveling out of state to get ‘medically-necessary’ abortion

AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin lady and her husband are talking out, after they needed to journey out of state to get what she says was a medically-necessary abortion. They warn that Texas’ abortion legislation is having devastating penalties for households like theirs.

After two years of combating fertility remedies and IVF, final fall Taylor and Travis, who requested us to not use their final identify, bought the information they thought may by no means come: Taylor was pregnant.

“We had been over-the-moon excited,” stated Taylor.

The couple named their daughter Phoebe.

“We might made bulletins to all people in our lives,” stated Taylor.

However then, at 17 weeks, a scan revealed one thing was unsuitable.

“I imply, when he advised us this child won’t survive, I bear in mind not comprehending the phrases,” stated Taylor.

Their daughter had what’s referred to as an encephalocele, basically a bubble-like construction on the cranium, which meant the infant both wouldn’t survive the being pregnant, or would die painfully hours after being born.

“It was heartbreaking,” stated Travis. “To listen to that there is unhealthy information and never solely is it unhealthy information, nevertheless it’s deadly and unhealthy information was simply surprising.”

“We had been left with a horrible determination of what can we do,” stated Taylor.

Getting an abortion was out of the query in Texas, the place an exception to the state’s ban is simply allowed if “the pregnant feminine has a life-threatening bodily situation aggravated, attributable to or arising from the being pregnant that locations the feminine susceptible to loss of life, or substantial impairment of main bodily perform.”

“If the fetus, the infant, the embryo’s life is in peril and there’s a heartbeat, there are not any exceptions within the state of Texas,” stated Travis.

Taylor’s docs gave them the identify of an abortion clinic, however legally couldn’t advise her past that. They ended up flying to Colorado.

“We had been left utterly on our personal,” stated Taylor. “We needed to be in public in Colorado and, like, go to get meals. We had been in a lodge. It simply was very weird to need to undergo the worst factor in your life publicly.”

On prime of that?

“Due to the legal guidelines in Texas, we could not use our medical insurance coverage for this process. The clinic stated that they simply have an excessive amount of bother processing it. So we needed to pay out of pocket for all the things,” stated Taylor.

On the way in which house, they purchased a stuffed bear holding its child, to recollect Phoebe by.

“It’s lots of grief. I additionally am very indignant. I’ve lots of anger in direction of what occurred to me and what I used to be made to do,” stated Taylor. “You do really feel like form of such as you did one thing shady on the black market—if you simply bought well being care.”

Their daughter had what’s referred to as an encephalocele, basically a bubble-like construction on the cranium, which meant the infant both wouldn’t survive the being pregnant, or would die painfully hours after being born.

However pro-life teams who helped craft abortion legislation right here in Texas have staunchly defended the ban.

“The kid is a human being from that second of fertilization, they deserve our authorized and ethical safety,” stated Rebecca Parma of Texas Proper to Life.

“And the underside line is life one. The physique inside a lady’s physique just isn’t that lady’s physique,” stated Amy O’Donnell of the Texas Alliance for Life.

“Issues should not black and white. There’s grey space to all the things, and so they’re hurting actual individuals with this legislation, whether or not that was supposed or not,” stated Taylor.

Taylor and Travis hope that by sharing their story, it would assist others.

“I am not an exception. Our story just isn’t an exception. There are literally thousands of Texas ladies who’re going via this and are left with an inconceivable determination, after which it is made even worse,” stated Taylor.

“Sharing the story and hopefully lessening the burden on them a bit of bit and a number of the guilt and disgrace that they could really feel from making these choices,” stated Travis.

Regardless of all the things, Taylor and Travis say they’re going to proceed attempting to have a child, and plan to boost their youngster proper right here in Texas.

“It is necessary for me to remain put as a result of I need to combat for this,” stated Taylor. “If we’re capable of have kids sooner or later, they will know that they’ve an older sister. And that is all the time going to be one thing we take into consideration daily.”