Two women died after being left waiting for emergency treatment following miscarriages, sparking outrage and urgent discussions among medical experts.
Brenda Yolani Arzu Ramirez and Porsha Ngumezi both spent hours in hospital without receiving the immediate care they needed, and their conditions worsened until it was too late.
Both women required procedures to remove pregnancy tissue but did not receive them in time. Instead, they were left waiting as their health deteriorated.
Medical experts had already warned that under Texas’ abortion ban, women facing miscarriage could die while being denied proper care — and sadly, those warnings came true for Brenda and Porsha.
Their deaths triggered a storm of debate online about women’s healthcare and how restrictive laws endanger lives.
On Reddit, one commenter wrote: “To them, women are livestock.”
Brenda’s story
At 22 weeks pregnant, Brenda Yolani Arzu Ramirez’s baby had died in the womb, leaving her at severe risk of infection. She waited hours in an Austin hospital while her condition worsened into sepsis.
She had gone in to deliver her stillborn baby in November 2021. Although her OB-GYN suspected she needed immediate intervention, Brenda wasn’t given the urgent treatment she required when she first arrived at the hospital.
In her earlier pregnancies, Brenda had delivered her children via cesarean section. But this time was different, and the risks were far greater.
At only 22 and a half weeks pregnant, she was too early for a viable cesarean delivery. This time, she needed urgent intervention — and did not get it.
An ultrasound revealed her baby had died. But this was November 2021, just months after Roe v. Wade had been overturned, leaving doctors fearful of civil lawsuits if they performed abortions for any reason.
She delivered vaginally after hours of waiting, but by then the infection had overwhelmed her body, turning into life-threatening sepsis.
Dr. Deborah Bartz of Harvard Medical School said Brenda should have received a D&E instead of being induced. She was one of two women whose cases revealed how dangerous delays in miscarriage care can be.
Porsha’s story
Porsha Ngumezi was 35 when she miscarried during her first trimester. She waited for hours in a hospital emergency room, passing grapefruit-sized clots while her condition deteriorated.
Porsha and her husband had been excited to welcome another baby to their family of four. But after early spotting, doctors warned her to monitor her symptoms carefully.
After two hours, she miscarried in the restroom, passing large clots and what she believed to be the fetus before the toilet flushed automatically.
He responded: “Omg,” “Are they doing something about the bleeding.”
Porsha told him: “I have to stay. They have to make sure it all passes,”
She was given fluids and blood transfusions but continued passing clots, and her condition did not improve.
Doctors suggested either misoprostol or a dilation and curettage (D&C) to stop the hemorrhage.
They chose misoprostol, though Porsha’s mother strongly argued that she needed the D&C instead.
Dr. Bartz later commented: “Delay in care, delay in care, delay in care,” “Not offering the care that was needed, and ultimately, not listening to the patient, and then the patient’s husband, as it related to what her symptoms were.”
What have experts said?
Experts reviewing both women’s cases said the delays in care were fatal. The treatment notes revealed an alarming lack of urgency.
Dr. Bartz explained Brenda should have had a D&E immediately. “As soon as she hit the door for the second hospital,’ Bartz said. “
Another OB-GYN, Dr. Rebecca Cohen, said Porsha’s existing blood conditions made her bleeding even more dangerous and that the presence of large clots meant a D&C was urgently needed.
She and others emphasized how critical time is in these cases. Dr. Nancy Binford added that once sepsis sets in, every minute matters.
Dr. Karen Swenson said: “Do I think the law could have contributed to this? Yes, because I think doctors are terrified,”
What have the hospitals said?
St. David’s HealthCare, which operates the hospitals where Brenda was treated, told The Dallas Morning News it could not comment on her case due to privacy rules.
However, it noted its North Austin facility is a Level IV Maternal Facility equipped to provide comprehensive pregnancy and postpartum care, including D&C and induction methods.
Meanwhile, Houston Methodist said it follows Texas law, including abortion restrictions.
Porsha’s husband has since filed a malpractice lawsuit against the hospital, two doctors, and physician groups. The case is ongoing.
