Botched Abortion at Albuquerque Late- Term Abortion Clinic Lands 14th Woman in Hospital

By Cheryl Sullenger

Albuquerque, NM – An ambulance arrived at Southwestern Women’s Options, a late-term abortion clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and transported an abortion patient to UNM Medical Center at approximately 1:00 p.m. today, Friday, March 1, 2013.

This is the 14th medical emergency since November, 2008. The last medical emergency at SWO took place on February 7, 2013.

The woman, who was reportedly from Utah, arrived at the clinic earlier in the day along with family members, but declined to converse with Bud Shaver, a pro-life activist with Project Defending Life, who was outside the abortion clinic at the time of the incident. It is believed that she was at the clinic for the final day of a late-term abortion.

Tara Shaver was able to confirm that Southwestern Women’s Options did not call 911, but rather made a direct call to the ambulance company even though such calls take longer for emergency units to respond. This is contrary to sworn testimony provided by SWO abortionist Shelley Sella that stated SWO’s policy is to always call 911 in the event of a medical emergency.

Shaver reported that Sella’s associate, Susan Robinson, was the abortionist on duty during the incident. Robinson and Sella, along with Maryland abortionist LeRoy Carhart and Colorado abortionist Warren Hern were featured in the widely publicized film “After Tiller” that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January. They are among the few who openly do third-trimester abortions.

Carhart also made recent headlines after one of his patients, 29-year old Jennifer Morbelli, died from complications to a 33-week abortion she received in Germantown, Maryland, on February 7. Carhart remains under multiple investigations.

Sella narrowly survived charges of gross negligence last month that were brought by the New Mexico Medical Board based on complaints filed by Operation Rescue and Project Defending Life. That case was related to a botched 35-week abortion that resulted in a life-threatening ruptured uterus. That patient can no longer bear children.

Robinson, Sella, and Robinson all worked for Kansas abortionist George Tiller, who was facing an eleven-count petition against his license brought by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts (based on an Operation Rescue complaint) at the time of his death in 2009.

“Our prayers are with this woman and those like her who will continue to be injured at Southwestern Women’s Options. Those in authority in New Mexico who continue to turn a blind eye to these bear direct responsibility due to their inaction,” said Tara Shaver of Project Defending Life.

“Today’s incident further emphasizes the dangers of late-term abortions that are being done in inadequately equipped outpatient clinics without proper monitoring by abortionists who have a long history of injuring women,” said Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor for Operation Rescue. “Late-term abortions are too dangerous to tolerate and it is past time to pass legislation that will ban this barbaric procedure for good.”