Women are outraged—and they have every reason to be.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, it marked the first time in history that the Court has taken away a fundamental right and opened the door for states to ban abortion outright. And Texas women in particular have lived under an extreme ban for even longer: In September 2021, Texas’ SB 8 became law, the six-week ban with a “bounty hunter” provision. At the time SB 8 took effect, it was considered the most restrictive abortion ban to ever take effect in the U.S.
Today, 21 states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade, and of those, abortion is completely illegal in 13. These states are failing women and their families, causing preventable deaths and irreparable pain and heartbreak for their families—leaving children without mothers, parents without their daughters, and spouses without their partners.
Ms. is marking these women’s stories. This article will be updated to mark every single name made public.
These women should be alive today. And these are likely not the only cases, as there has been a significant increase in maternal mortality rates in states that implement strict abortion bans.
Rest in power. And may their deaths not be in vain.
Texas
Josseli Barnica
DATE OF DEATH: Sept. 8, 2021
Barnica was a young Texas mother who died after a hospital did not intervene in her miscarriage because of the state’s 2021 abortion ban, SB 8. Providers waited 40 hours until they could no longer detect cardiac activity before providing Barnica with basic medical care.
“They had to wait until there was no heartbeat. It would be a crime to give her an abortion.”
—Barnica’s husband
Yeniifer Alvarez-Estrada Glick
DATE OF DEATH: July 10, 2022
“Yeni” Alvarez-Estrada Glick died due to complications related to her high-risk pregnancy.
“We were scheduled to do her baby shower that weekend. But we weren’t having a baby shower. We were having a funeral.”
—Lisa Bozeman, Alvarez-Estrada Glick’s boyfriend’s (Andrew) sister
“She and Andrew were so young, and if given a choice they probably would have thought to themselves, We’ll have so much time together, we can have a child later on.”
—Dolores Favela, one of Yeni’s closest friends
Nevaeh Crain
DATE OF DEATH: Oct. 29, 2023
Crain, an 18-year-old woman, died after experiencing pregnancy complications. She visited multiple emergency rooms but faced delays in receiving appropriate care.
“Do something.”
—Candace Fails, Crain’s mother, hours before she died
Georgia
Amber Nicole Thurman
DATE OF DEATH: Aug. 19, 2022
Thurman’s death was deemed “preventable” by the state’s maternal mortality review committee after she was unable to access legal abortion and timely medical care.
“Promise me you’ll take care of my son.”
—Thurman’s mother recalling her daughter’s last words
Candi Miller
DATE OF DEATH: Nov. 12, 2022
Miller died at home with her 3-year-old daughter beside her, after her teenage son watched her suffer for days. His mother was afraid to seek the care she needed for fear of prosecution under the ban Georgia had in place.
“She was trying to terminate the pregnancy, not terminate herself.”
—Turiya Tomlin-Randall, Miller’s sister
Indiana
Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski
DATE OF DEATH: Oct. 12, 2023
Newly married and living in Indiana with her husband and young son, Wilkinson-Sobieski suffered when she could not access timely reproductive healthcare for an ectopic pregnancy.
*
Livia Follet provided research assistance for this article.
At Ms. magazine, our mission is to deliver facts about the feminist movement (and those who stand in its way) and foster informed discussions—not to tell you who to vote for or what to think. We believe in empowering our readers to form their own opinions based on reliable reporting. To continue providing you with independent feminist journalism, we rely on the generous support of our readers. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today if you value the work we do and want to see it continue. Thank you for supporting women’s voices and rights.
