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Tamia Russell: Abuser's sister arranged fatal abortion
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Pregnancy so advanced, one clinic offered prenatal vitamins
Life Site News reports that 15-year-old Tamiia Russell died January 8, 2004 after a second trimester abortion at Woman Care Clinic in Lanthrup Village, near Detroit. Womancare is a member of the National Abortion Federation.
According to U.S. Newswire, Tamia's abortion had taken place January 7.
Dr. Leigh Hlavaty, who performed the autopsy on Tamia, told a local pro-life activist who contacted LifeSiteNews.com that the girl's death was caused by "uterine infarction with sepsis due to status second trimester abortion." Hlavaty said, "I ruled it normal because these complications are expected with this type of abortion."
Tamiia's "boyfriend" was 24. In Michigan that constitutes statutory rape. The man's sister took Tamia in for the abortion behind her parents' back, in violation of Michigan's parental involvement law.
Tamiia's family told Fox News that they did not even know their daughter was six months pregnant. U.S. Newswire cites Fox, saying the family had only learned of the pregnancy the day before the abortion. The family is blaming the abortionist for Tamia‘s death. According to Jews for Life, the abortionist was Alberto Hodari. Appallingly, the Michigan medical board has no disciplinary actions listed against Hodari despite his appalling track record.
According to Tamiia's mother, laminaria was inserted WomanCare on January 7, then Tamiia returned home. She told her aunt and mother that she was pregnant and she had begun the abortion. Tamiia's mother said that she called the clinic, and staff told her that the abortion once be carried out once the laminaria are inserted. Life News notes, however, that according to eMedicine Journal, "pregnancies have safely been carried to term after laminaria insertion and removal."
According to Life News, Tamia bled heavily after coming home froom the abortion on January 8. She bled so heavily that the blood soaked a mattress. She was dead on arrival at the hospital despite paramedics' attempts to save her. Jews for Life reports that she died of sepsis.
According to Tamia's cousin, Nicole Redden, the sister of Tamia's abuser took her to five different Detroit area abortion facilities, and was turned away from all five because of how far advanced Tamia's pregnancy was. One facility reportedly even offered prenatal care and vitamins.
Hodari was also implicated in the death of Chivon Williams Dr. Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-life Society, reports that there have been 23 lawsuits in the past 20 years against WomanCare facilities and Alberto Hodari, for abortion injuries including complications resuting on hysterectomies on 19, 22, and 23-year-old women. All were dismissed, with many referring to undisclosed settlements.
Nicole Redden told reporters about her 15-year-old cousin's death that followed a late-term abortion there. "This stuff needs to stop," said Redden. "People need to take a first hand look at what happens here."
Taisha Glenn, the sister of Russell's 24-year-old boyfriend, Stacy Glenn, had taken Russell to the abortion facility on January 7 without permission or notifying Russell's mother or guardian.
"A woman off the street took her in," said Redden. "She had no parental authority."
Glenn and Russell went to five other abortion facilities before coming to WomanCare. The other abortion businesses turned them away because Russell was too far along in her pregnancy, Redden said. "They literally went shopping," Redden told reporters. "One even offered prenatal care and vitamins."
Redden said that Tamiia used an identification card with another woman's picture to state she was 19, as abortions cannot be performed on minors in Michigan without parental consent. According to Redden, the woman in the picture ID looked nothing like Russell -- but the abortion was done anyway.
The facility vaginally inserted laminaria, a seaweed used to begin dilation. Russell was sent home, where she confessed to her family that she was pregnant and had begun the abortion procedure. When her mother and aunt called WomanCare, they said the abortion could not be stopped once the laminaria is inserted.
However, according to eMedicine Journal, though there are some medical risks, "pregnancies have safely been carried to term after laminaria insertion and removal." In fact, many crisis pregnancy centers offer laminaria removal for women who have changed their minds after beginning an abortion procedure.
Russell's mother drove her daughter to the abortion facility the next day to finish the abortion, which was performed by Alberto Hodari. Upon her return home, she experienced severe bleeding -- "so much so she soaked an entire mattress," Redden told LifeNews.com. WomanCare told her family that such bleeding was "normal" following an abortion, and not to take her to the hospital.
Concerned for Russell, the family called paramedics who rushed her to Sinai-Grace Hospital. Russell died on the way to the Hospital.
Stacy Glenn, according to Frances Russell, Tamiia's mother, is an alleged drug dealer who has not been located since Russell's death. He paid the $2000 for Russell's abortion.
Oakland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jim Halushka told LifeNews.com that his office has reviewed an initial investigation by police into the abortion. If the abortion facility knew that Russell was under 18, they could be charged with a misdemeanor for performing an abortion on a minor. The investigation was turned back over to police for further investigation.
State Attorney General Mike Cox told WDEO Radio by email that he is looking into the incident, and one of his staff confirmed the state's interest in the case.
As Russell resided in Wayne County, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has jurisdiction over the statutory rape. However, as the family apparently did not know Russell was pregnant until the day before she died, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office told LifeNews.com Thursday that there may not be a case – the parents or guardians must make the complaint, and once the minor is dead, the complaint of statutory rape cannot be filed.
"I don't want this to happen to anyone else," Redden told reporters. She says she plans to speak at schools to encourage young people to seek help for problems from their loved ones.
"I want to tell them, 'No secret is worth your life,'" Redden said.
In an interview with LifeNews.com, Geoffrey Fieger, said that he is filing the sole wrongful death suit for the family of Tamiia Russell, the 15-year-old Detroit girl who died following an abortion at the WomanCare of Southfield abortion facility.
"I am the attorney in the case," Fieger told LifeNews.com. "There can only be one wrongful death suit per case in Michigan, and I am representing the family"
Fieger, the attorney who represented assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, added that Russell's mother and grandmother had retained him as their representative.
There has been some dispute as to which attorney will handle the case. Feiger told LifeNews.com he will represent Tamiia's family and indicated that other Detroit-area media outlets were incorrect in saying another attorney would file suit.
The newspaper had indicated prominent trial lawyer Sam Bernstein would represent the Russell family. LifeNews.com previously reported that Fieger's firm, and likely Fieger himself, would handle the case.
Meanwhile, the issue of Tamiia's guardianship is also creating confusion.
At the press conference, Nicole Redden, Tamiia Russell's cousin, told reporters that Tamiia's aunt, Denise Russell, was her legal guardian. Redden said that Tamiia's mother, Frances, was not able to take care of her daughter.
Frances Russell, who lives with her sister Denise, also previously told reporters Bernstein was representing the family.
But several local news reporters left Friday's press conference before Redden had arrived and did not get to hear her account of what had happened.
What happened to Tamiia points to a little girl seemingly exploited by a much older boyfriend and whose caretakers didn't help matters.
On January 7, after Tamiia became pregnant, Taisha Glenn, the sister of Russell's 24-year-old boyfriend, Stacy Glenn, had taken Russell to the abortion facility without permission or notifying Russell's mother or guardian. Stacy paid the $2,000 cost for the late-term abortion.
Glenn and Russell went to five other abortion facilities before coming to WomanCare. The other abortion businesses turned them away because Russell was too far along in her pregnancy, Redden said. One had even offered prenatal care and vitamins for Russell to carry the child to term.
Redden said that Tamiia used an identification card with another woman's picture to state she was 19, as abortions cannot be performed on minors in Michigan without parental consent.
According to Redden, the woman in the picture ID looked nothing like Russell -- but the abortion was done anyway.
Russell's mother drove her daughter to the abortion facility the next day to finish the abortion, which was performed by Alberto Hodari. Upon her return home, she experienced severe bleeding -- "so much so she soaked an entire mattress," Redden told LifeNews.com.
WomanCare told her family that such bleeding was "normal" following an abortion, and not to take her to the hospital. However, the family called paramedics anyway who rushed her to Sinai-Grace Hospital. Russell died on the way to the hospital.
As Russell resided in Wayne County, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office has jurisdiction over the statutory rape. However, as the family apparently did not know Russell was pregnant until the day before she died, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office told LifeNews.com Thursday that there may not be a case – the parents or guardians must make the complaint, and once the minor is dead, the complaint of statutory rape cannot be filed.
"It won't bring her back...but I want them to pay," Nicola Powell, Russell’s cousin, told Fox News following Russell's death in January. "They won't do nobody else's baby like that."
According to Russell's mother, laminaria was inserted vaginally at the WomanCare facility to begin dilation on January 7, and she was sent home.
She then confessed her pregnancy to her aunt and mother and told them she had begun the abortion procedure. Despite Michigan law requiring parental consent, the abortion business never told Russell's mother about the planned abortion.
After calling the WomanCare facility, staff there told Russell's mother that once the laminaria was inserted the abortion had to be completed.
However, according to eMedicine Journal, though there are some medical risks, "pregnancies have safely been carried to term after laminaria insertion and removal." In fact, many crisis pregnancy centers offer laminaria removal for women who have changed their minds after beginning the abortion procedure.
Upon returning home from the completion of her abortion on January 8, Russell experienced heavy bleeding. Before paramedics could get her to the hospital, she died from complications. It is believed that a D&E abortion procedure was performed on her, although the possibility that it was a partial-birth abortion has not been ruled out.
The uterine infarction that killed Russell was due to blockage in her uterine blood vessel.
Online Sources:
Fieger Will Represent Family of Girl Who Died From Abortion, Despite Confusion
The Facts of Life and the Abortion Rally
Family of Detroit Girl Who Died From Abortion Speaks Out
15-Year-Old Detroit Girl Dies from Botched Second Trimester Abortion
Press Conference Friday at Detroit Area Abortion Center where Tamiah Russell Died
Kevorkian Attorney Will Handle Family‘s Abortion-Death Lawsuit
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