Dateline: 7/20/01
Fifteen-year-old S.C. came to Women's Health Center for an abortion to be done by Dr. Scott R. Barrett on March 23, 1989. Her mother accompanied her to the appointment.
When S.C. awoke after her abortion, her mother noticed that she was disoriented, groggy, and in pain. The staff gave the mother a post-abortion instruction sheet and had her take her daughter home.
S.C.s' mother took her home and put her to bed. S.C. slept for several hours, then awoke in severe pain. Her mother found her pale, glassy-eyed, nauseous, and passing clots.
S.C. went back to sleep, but awoke again moaning and feverish. The next day her mother repeatedly attempted to call the emergency numbers from the post-abortion instruction sheet, but got recordings. She left messages, but nobody called her back.
The next day, S.C.'s mother took her daughter to work with her. S.C.'s condition had not improved. While at her mother's workplace, S.C. fainted. Her mother loaded her into the car and took her to the emergency room. Emergency staff found S.C. to be in shock, with retained tissue and infection.
A surgeon at the hospital performed an emergency D&C to removed necrotic and infected tissues, and clots.
Sources: Southeast Missourian March 1990; St. Louis Post-Dispatch 8-2-92; Springfield News-Leader 6-9-91, 3-18-92; Greene County Circuit Court Case No. CV188-67SCC2; Kansas City Star 8-7-92; Columbia Daily Tribune 1-29-91; Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission No. 90-000255HA
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