Chelsea Stovall didn’t think she’d ever need an abortion—then Arkansas forced her to flee the state for one.
Synopsis
Chelsea Stovall was overjoyed to call family and friends and share the news that she was pregnant with her third child. Then, at a routine appointment, she got news no parent wants to hear: Her daughter would die either during pregnancy, or shortly after birth—and because of Arkansas’ abortion ban, there was nothing her doctor could do to help her. Chelsea—along with three other women and a doctor—is now suing the state of Arkansas in the first case filed by Amplify Legal, the litigation arm of Abortion in America.
Chelsea spoke with Abortion in America about what it was like to have to leave her home state and say goodbye to her daughter alone. Her story has been edited for length and clarity.
Chelsea: I was raised Christian, so I was raised believing that abortion is wrong—that there are other options. It was a very charged word.
I have two kids, and we were planning on having a third. I was really excited about the pregnancy, about having another baby. Abortion was not something that ever crossed my mind. I didn’t think I was ever going to need one.
When I got pregnant, it was April of 2022, so Roe v. Wade was still the law of the land. It was a very healthy pregnancy; the baby seemed to be growing on track. Then, a few weeks before I had my anatomy scan, Roe v. Wade was overturned.
I had been calling everyone—friends and family—for the previous week or two. We were going to find out the gender and we had been talking about names. When we got the news at our anatomy scan about her diagnosis, we had to make that phone call and tell them, “It’s a baby girl, but she’s not going to make it.” That was the hardest phone call I’ve ever had to make.
We found out that she had a hole where her diaphragm should have been, and her intestines were wrapped so tightly around her lungs and her heart that they weren’t growing. And there was nothing that my doctor could do to help me.
I would’ve rather had the doctor who delivered my other two babies be able to deliver my third, even if it was an early delivery. It was not a matter of if I would have to say goodbye to her—it was a matter of when and if my life was going to be in danger.
I have two other kids that I take care of and love very much. I would never want to jeopardize my life.
The week that we found out that we were having a baby girl, I went and got my fingernails painted this bright pink with glitter, as an honor to her. I got my toenails painted like the night sky because I knew we were going to have to say goodnight for the last time. But I wanted to recognize her, because she was important and her life mattered.
I know that saying goodbye would’ve looked a lot different if I had been able to do it with my doctor, at my hospital, with my husband at my side. I would’ve liked to have my husband there when I had to say goodbye to our daughter. But because of the way we had to do it, he wasn’t even allowed in the building. It was very lonely.
I know that saying goodbye would’ve looked a lot different if I had been able to do it with my doctor, at my hospital, with my husband at my side.
I was surprised by how little I understood what an abortion actually was—that it’s health care. It’s not something done in a back alley. It’s not a dirty word. It’s a medical procedure that people get even when they don’t think they will, because things happen that you don’t plan for. I planned on having a baby. What happened instead was that she was very sick, and her body was strangling her. That’s not something I would wish on anyone.
There have been so many more women who, after hearing my story and what I went through, have come forward and said, “I had a similar experience.” It touches everyone, whether you realize it or not. This issue—abortion, losing a child—it’s not a shameful thing. I want them to know that they’re not alone. It’s something that can bring us together, and I think it’s important to have that conversation.
If this happened to you or someone you love, contact Abortion in America or reach out directly to our team at Amplify Legal.
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