Texas Woman Shares 'Near-Death' Experience Being Denied An Abortion, Denounces 'Barbaric' GOP Policy

1 year ago

During a Biden-Harris Campaign briefing near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI, Amanda Zurawski, who was denied an abortion in Texas, shared her story and denounced Republican-backed abortion bans.

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Transcript

00:00Thank you, Congresswoman.

00:04Thank you, Governor.

00:05Thank you, Quintin.

00:06Thank you all so much for being here.

00:08My name is Anaïs Zorowski and I live in Austin, Texas.

00:13I'm here today to share my own story, a story that was only made

00:17possible because of Donald Trump.

00:20And one that, if it is up to Trump and his new running mate, J.D.

00:23Vance, could become a reality for far too many other Americans.

00:28In the spring of 2022, my husband, Josh, and I learned I was

00:33pregnant with our first baby, a girl.

00:36We were over the moon.

00:38My first trimester was smooth sailing, but then suddenly at 18 weeks, I

00:43suffered catastrophic complications.

00:45My cervix dilated prematurely and there was no way to safely reverse course.

00:51So we were with 100% certainty going to lose our baby girl.

00:55We were devastated.

00:59What I needed at that point was an abortion so that I could safely and

01:03with dignity, deliver my daughter and begin the healing process,

01:07both physically and emotionally.

01:10But unfortunately, this was post-traumatic stress.

01:13The near total abortion ban had gone into effect just two days after my water broke.

01:19Ending the pregnancy would have been considered an illegal abortion and

01:23my doctor would be at risk of loss of her license and even jail time.

01:27I was told to wait until I got so sick that my life was considered in danger.

01:32One of the rare exceptions where a doctor can intervene in Texas.

01:37It took three days and a near death crash in the septic shop before my doctor could

01:41finally provide the healthcare that I desperately needed.

01:45She stabilized my vitals enough to deliver our baby, meaning Willow, but

01:49then I crashed again with another bout of sepsis and was transferred to the ICU.

01:55I was there for three days and my family flew in from across the country for fear

01:59that I wouldn't make it through the night.

02:02It was in that dark and lonely hospital room where I realized I was actually lucky.

02:07I lived and I knew others might not be so lucky.

02:11What I went through was nothing short of barbaric and it didn't need to happen,

02:16but it did because of Donald Trump.

02:20Donald Trump and his allies continuously brag about killing Roe v.

02:24Wade and it is unthinkable to me that anyone could cheer on the cruel abortion

02:29bans that nearly took my life, but they did.

02:34Tonight we're going to hear from Trump's running mate, JD Vance, a man with a

02:38record just as extreme and an agenda just as threatening as Donald Trump.

02:44Don't just take my word for it.

02:46He has an A plus rating from the Susan B.

02:48Anthony pro-choice America list and supports a nationwide abortion ban.

02:54He wanted to make it harder for Ohio voters to engage in a democratic process

03:00and vote to protect their fundamental right to reproductive health care.

03:04And his anti-choice agenda is so extreme that he doesn't even think there should

03:09be exceptions for rape or incest survivors.

03:12Actually saying two wrongs don't make a right.

03:17He calls these devastating circumstances inconvenient.

03:22My husband, Josh and I are now desperately trying to start a family

03:25through IVF, but JD Vance voted against legislation to protect IVF.

03:31It's appalling.

03:34Tragically, my story is not unique.

03:36I am one of many women in our country whose life has been put at risk because

03:40of Donald Trump and JD Vance's anti-reproductive freedom agenda.

03:45I know this because I've met them.

03:48From Texas to Arizona, Idaho to Georgia, women like me have been told that we're

03:54not sick enough to receive care that we desperately need.

03:57We've been turned away from hospitals.

04:00We've been found collapsed on bathroom floors.

04:03We have been told to flee our state borders in the hope of receiving

04:08basic reproductive care.

04:10We have been robbed of our freedom.

04:13I'm just one of those women.

04:16Like most Americans, I believe that healthcare decisions belong

04:20between a woman and her doctor.

04:22But if Donald Trump and JD Vance are elected, they will make my devastating

04:26story, the story I've heard across the country, the reality for far

04:31too many more American women.

04:34That's why we must reelect President Biden, Vice President Harris,

04:39and Democrats up and down the ballot.

04:41They're fighting for reproductive freedom and they won't stop until

04:46they restore the protections of Rome so that people in every state

04:49have access to the care they need.

04:52The stakes of this election could not be higher for our

04:55lives and for our future.

Texas Woman Shares 'Near-Death' Experience Being Denied An Abortion, Denounces 'Barbaric' GOP Policy

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