A North Texas nurse wanted to ease her baby’s suffering. She had to leave Texas to do it.

Synopsis

Melanie Rummel, a registered nurse and North Texas resident, was a few months pregnant when she learned her baby girl had a fatal genetic disorder.  Her daughter wouldn’t survive, and she was suffering. 

As Melanie and her husband processed their grief, they made the choice to end the pregnancy. But under Texas law, their doctor couldn’t offer guidance—not on the procedure, not on where to go, not even on the possibility of future pregnancies. Instead of being able to end her pregnancy with her doctor, Melanie was forced to leave the state to get the abortion she needed.

Melanie spoke with Abortion in America in Austin, Texas to bring greater attention and awareness to the experiences of people living in states with abortion bans.