Moris Helen Herron
Twenty-six-year-old Helen went to Bakersfield, California abortionist
William D. Stanley for a tubal ligation in October of 1983. When Stanley
examined Helen, he informed her that she was pregnant and asked if she
wanted him to perform a safe, legal abortion when he did the tubal ligation.
Helen consented, and on October 23, Stanley operated on her. After Helen
went home, she suffered weakness, vomiting, and severe pain. She called
Stanley, who instructed her to take a laxative.
Helen developed a high fever, and died on November 3. An autopsy found
feces and feculent fluid in Helen's abdominal cavity from a hole in her
intestines. Helen's mother, Inez Herron, sued Stanley on behalf of her
two surviving children, and Stanley settled out of court for $200,000.
When a local pro-life group wrote to Stanley to chastize him for his
treatment of Helen, he wrote back, saying, "Elective abortion refers
to termination of a live viable pregnancy upon the request of the mother.
I have never performed this service or even offered it." He claimed
that he was merely performing a D&C on Helen after a miscarriage.
NOTE: A previous researcher evidently became confused
when reading the name "Moris" on the lawsuit filed by Helen's
mother, Inez. Therefore, some reports of this case mistakenly identify
the dead woman as being named Inez Herron.
Sources: Kern County (CA) Death Certificate No. 2665;
Kern County Superior Court Case No. 85936; Correspondence between prolifers
and Dr. Stanley on file at Life Dynamics.
Abortion Deaths
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