Living and Dying Under Dobbs, vol. 10 (no audio). Scroll down to read the stories.
Volume 10 of the ongoing textile book.
Scroll down to read the stories.
In 2021, Texan Kaitlyn Kash learned that her baby had a lethal form of skeletal dysplasia. She traveled to Kansas to end the pregnancy, where clinic protesters called her a murderer. Kaitlyn later bore a healthy girl, but the placenta did not deliver, and she went into shock. Kaitlyn said, "Other doctors later told me that a lot of the delay may have been because people were trying to locate equipment, get authorization, or figure out whether the procedure could move forward." She continued, "[L]awmakers don’t want D&C equipment used to end an unwanted pregnancy. But women need that exact same equipment to treat miscarriages, retained placentas, and obstetric emergencies. The men who wrote these laws don’t understand that." “You cannot make pretty buckets that health care can fall in and make it all neat and clean, and so we need to continue to . . . say that we don’t want the government interfering in our health care.”
In 2023, Megan and Sam Kling of Wisconsin learned that their baby was developing with no kidneys. "To carry my baby that I knew was going to die for another four months sounded to me like pure torture," said Megan. Because of Wisconsin law, the couple traveled to Minnesota. They named their baby Nolan Robert after Sam's grandfather and Megan's father, who had both died. Megan held a scrap of flannel from one of her father's shirts against Nolan's skin as he died. "I believe every woman . . . needs to have health care options with their doctors. It is a private matter," Megan said. "I can't help but feel I am pro-life but . . . I am pro-the mother's life. If we take care of the mothers, the mothers will take care of the babies and their families. Every woman should have the right to do what is best for her family."
At 17 weeks of pregnancy in 2023, Taylor Edwards learned that the fetus had a neural tube defect that was causing the brain to grow out of a hole in the skull. Because of the Texas abortion ban, Taylor booked an appointment in New Mexico, but the clinic canceled at the last minute, so Taylor flew to Colorado at 19 weeks of pregnancy. Because of the delay, Taylor required reconstructive surgery on her uterus before she could try IVF again. In March of 2024, Taylor and Travis had a son. “People think I don’t deserve to have my son because I had an abortion," Taylor said. "But I have never, for one single second regretted my abortion. It allowed me to become a mother to a living child. It allowed me to preserve my fertility and my health.” Taylor and Travis named their son Reid Owen Edwards so his initials would be R.O.E.
In 2025, when seven weeks pregnant, Texan Lynn Callaway began to spot and cramp. Blood tests at her OB-GYN office confirmed she was miscarrying. When her pain grew worse, she went to an ER and was told to take Tylenol. The ER said her bloodwork was abnormal, but her condition was “not necessarily life or limb threatening." As her pain worsened, Lynn went to a second ER where she was given antibiotics and pain medication, but was told the hospital did not offer abortion medication. Eventually, she saw her OB-GYN, who prescribed abortion medication. Later, Lynn was chilled at what could have happened. “A lot of women don’t know — I didn’t — that it can go left really quickly,” she said. “And there are so many women where it did go left, and they’re not here to talk to us about this today.” In June 2026, Lynn filed complaints against the two hospitals and several providers.
In 2022, Laurel Marcinkus was pregnant when her water broke early and the placenta tore. Doctors said labor should be induced to protect her, but because of Wisconsin law at the time, two ultrasounds had to be performed by two different doctors to confirm that Laurel would otherwise die. Abortion is legal in Wisconsin until 20 weeks with some exceptions that allow later terminations, but Dr. Kristin Lyerly says some hospitals still want two doctors to sign off on abortions later in pregnancy: “Everybody’s so afraid to put their name on a chart related to an abortion because they don’t want to go to jail,” she said. Laurel named the baby who died in her arms Ember Rose. She says the image of an ember symbolizes the flame of hope represented by the fight against abortion bans. “I’m speaking out because I don’t want this to continue to happen to women all over the country," Laurel said.
In response to the Texas abortion ban, OB-GYN Dr. Austin Dennard began to collect out-of-state contacts for future patients who might need to travel. When she became pregnant with her third child, she was stunned to learn that she would be one of those patients. The fetus was developing without a fully formed brain or skull. When packing, she thought: "What do I pack for an out-of-state abortion in July? . . . What if I start bleeding heavily on the flight home?" Austin settled on a black cotton dress, thinking that it would hide blood if she began to hemorrhage. Since then, when she confronts a situation where she cannot provide abortion care, she says, "I'm reliving that trauma over and over again, and it goes against every ounce of our training and all of our medical knowledge."
Kaitlyn Kash.
“Abortion reemerges as election issue amid challenges to mifepristone.” Spectrum News. May 6, 2026.
“She Wanted Another Baby. Texas’ Abortion Ban Shaped Every Pregnancy That Followed.” Abortion in America. September 21, 2026.
Megan Kling.
“Wisconsin mom decided ending pregnancy was safest, most humane option. Then she had to leave state.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. January 28, 2025.
Taylor Edwards.
“A Mom Fled Texas for an Emergency Abortion. One Year Later She Had a Son and Gave Him Initials R.O.E.” Abortion in America. October 20, 2025.
Lynn Callaway
“Austin-area hospitals denied miscarriage care despite clarification to Texas’ abortion ban, federal complaint alleges.” The Texas Tribune. August 4, 2026.
Legal complaints. Amplify Legal. June 22, 2026.
Laurel Marcinkus.
“Sharing stories: A Wisconsin mom on the state abortion law that nearly cost her her life.” The Wisconsin Independent. March 10, 2025.
Dr. Austin Dennard.
“Dr. Austin Dennard is a Texas OB-GYN. She also had to flee the state to get an abortion. Both experiences have changed her.” Abortion in America. June 3, 2026.