Christi’s Story

  Christi was a 17-year-old whose life was going well—until, that is, the day she discovered she was pregnant. With her parents' approval, she decided that abortion was the best solution. What her parents did not realize was that this was the last decision Christi would ever make. And her story poignantly but tragically illustrates how little abortion defenders really care about women. When Christi and her mother arrived at a Colorado abortion clinic, they were told that the only health risk was hemorrhage. And the abortionist assured them that the clinic was prepared to handle any emergency. But the abortionist left out a few crucial details. He didn't tell them that he was not trained to administer anesthesia. And he didn't mention that the clinic was unable to handle anesthesia complications—a fact that turned out to have deadly consequences. The first sign something was wrong was when Christi's mother was told that her daughter had experienced some minor breathing problems and had been taken to a hospital. At the hospital, the news was much worse. Christi was in a coma. Her mother soon learned the horrible truth: Christi was brain dead. She would never think or feel again. Christi's story is one of hundreds described by Mark Crutcher in his book, entitled Lime 5. These stories about the many women who have been maimed or killed by abortionists are shocking. Crutcher describes dirty instruments, poor blood-handling practices, and hygiene lapses that have spread diseases. He describes women who have died from abortion or were forced to undergo hysterectomies after botched legal abortions. Crutcher blames these tragedies on the fact that almost no abortion facilities meet the same health standards that regulate other medical facilities. In Indiana, for example, only one of the state's 11 abortion clinics passes such standards. In Louisiana, there are no inspections for even the minimum threshold of health and sanitation. The abortion industry says these regulations would cost too much. But that excuse doesn't wash with Crutcher. As he puts it, "Veterinary clinics come under closer scrutiny than [abortion] clinics. We would not allow these people to operate on dogs and cats." Now, you'd think feminists would be the first in line demanding that safety regulations for abortion clinics be passed in every state. After all, it was feminists who said abortion had to be legalized in the first place to protect women from those dangerous, back-alley abortionists. Yet, incredibly, feminists oppose attempts to introduce uniform safety standards. They fear it will drive up the cost of abortions, making it harder for poor women to obtain them. But is it really worth the maiming and killing of so many women to keep abortion unregulated? Well, to feminists, the answer is apparently "yes." Abortion, you see, embodies every essential feminist belief about women's radical autonomy. A woman who is free to kill her unborn child is, in effect, saying, "I am free from any restraints that nature and nature's God have placed on me." Now, I for one think we should outlaw all abortions, but until that day comes, we should at least be demanding that abortion facilities be subject to the same standards that bind all medical practices. And if your state is considering legislation like that, I hope you let your representatives know how strongly you feel. And the next time some neighbor or friend of yours accuses you of being against women's rights because you oppose abortion, tell them about Christi and the hundreds like her—and then ask them who is really on the side of women.

05/10/99