Pregnant Dominican Teen Dies in Wake of Drawn-Out Abortion Debate

http://www.care2.com/causes/pregnant-dominican-teen-dies-in-wake-of-drawn-out-abortion-debate.html

by Sarah Vrba
August 17, 2012 pregnant teen suffering from leukemia in the Dominican Republic died on Friday morning, CNN reports. She was at the center of a national debate about the country’s abortion ban and mother’s rights. Doctors stalled cancer treatment for fear they were breaking the Dominican Republic’s constitutional ban on abortion, imperiling her life.

The debate originally began when she was eight weeks pregnant. She was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia that required immediate treatment. It took around 20 days for doctors to finally agree to provide the chemotherapy required to save her life. They were hesitant knowing that the girl’s unborn fetus would be harmed by the treatment, possibly landing the medical professionals in hot water.

When professionals began to provide treatment, the 16-year-old was 13 weeks pregnant. Her body quickly rejected the chemotherapy and a blood transfusion. Officials say the young woman’s condition quickly deteriorated this week, especially on Thursday evening. Tragically, she suffered a miscarriage and she passed away on Friday morning.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/pregnant-dominican-teen-dies-in-wake-of-drawn-out-abortion-debate.html#ixzz23wghUgYi