Surviving the Abortion Pill: Women Call for Safety Regulations

Women harmed by abortion drugs are rallying behind Rosalie Markezich, a survivor of a forced abortion and a leading voice in an ongoing lawsuit against the federal government.

Kaylie Williams, left, age 3, survived the abortion pill after her mom, Jessica Williams, center, had an abortion pill reversal. Haile McAnally, right, almost bled out at 19 after taking abortion pills prescribed at an in-person abortion clinic.
Kaylie Williams, left, age 3, survived the abortion pill after her mom, Jessica Williams, center, had an abortion pill reversal. Haile McAnally, right, almost bled out at 19 after taking abortion pills prescribed at an in-person abortion clinic. (photo: Credit: Photos courtesy of Jessica Williams, left, and Haile McAnally, right)

“I thought that I was going to die that day.”

Haile McAnally’s words still ring years after her experience with abortion pills sent her to the hospital.

Alone in her apartment after she took the pills, McAnally was discovered passed out in the bathtub, surrounded by blood.

“I started hemorrhaging, and the only strength I had when I was sitting on the toilet was to take myself into the bathtub,” she said in a press call on July 13. “And when I laid down in the bathtub, I thought that I was going to die that day.”

Her phone was on the opposite end of the bathroom — out of reach.

“I didnʼt have enough strength to get up and call anybody, so I laid there,” she said. “And that was really all I remember until I woke up in the hospital.”

“My friend had let me know that she found me and called 911, and they came and thankfully rescued me,” McAnally recalled. “I had a blood transfusion at the hospital, and it was a horrifying experience for someone so young that thought that they could trust these medical professionals.”

Now, McAnally is advocating against mail-order abortion pills by signing a letter in support of a woman suing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for not having safeguards for women.

“We have to raise awareness about the danger of these pills,” McAnally said.

“I was in a center; I was there where there were nurses and there was a doctor and I had oversight,” McAnally continued. “Mailing these [abortion pills] across the country and putting them in dorm rooms and in bathrooms all around the country with no oversight is, I believe, very reckless.”

McAnally said she hopes she and the other women who have had similar experiences “will be heard.”

“I’m just one story out of many,” McAnally said.

McAnally is one of more than a dozen women harmed by abortion drugs who are asking Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to settle a lawsuit over abortion pill guardrails in a July 8 letter.

The women are rallying behind Rosalie Markezich, the leading voice in an ongoing lawsuit against the federal government. Markezich’s boyfriend at the time allegedly coerced her into taking abortion pills.

“If mail-order abortion wasn’t a thing, I’m 100% sure I would have my child,” the letter read, quoting Markezich.

The women are advocating for in-person prescription requirements for chemical abortions.

“We grieve with Rosalie because many of us recognize parts of our own stories in hers: the pressure, the confusion, the fear, the absence of real medical care, and the feeling that the system was designed to move drugs faster than it was designed to protect women,” the letter read.

Rosalie Markezich, a Louisiana woman coerced into taking abortion drugs that her then-boyfriend obtained via mail from a doctor in California. | Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom

Rosalie Markezich, a Louisiana woman coerced into taking abortion drugs that her then-boyfriend obtained via mail from a doctor in California. | Credit: Alliance Defending Freedom

The abortion pill has been left largely unregulated by Trump’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in spite of documented danger to women, including coercion, poisonings, and physical harm.

Numerous cases of abortion pill poisonings and coercions have been documented in recent years in addition to Markezich’s.

“No woman should be forced, pressured, deceived, or abandoned into taking drugs that end her child’s life and place her own health at risk,” the letter said.

“The FDA’s illegal abortion drug policy is responsible for this danger, and it is the same policy the department is defending in court,” the letter continued.

SBA Pro-Life America’s Jamie Dangers urged Blanche to address these issues in Louisiana v. FDA.

“The death toll is climbing, and we need action immediately,” Dangers said in a press call on July 13. “This is our new drug crisis. Mifepristone takes more lives every year than fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin combined.”

An estimated 15,000 unborn children are killed monthly by the abortion pill in states where it is illegal, according to Dangers.

“As many as 11% of the women who take these drugs will experience really serious complications, including hemorrhage, infection, sepsis, and more,” Dangers continued.

Jessica Williams, a registered nurse whose baby was saved through abortion pill reversal, also signed the letter and shared her story in the press call.

She obtained abortion pills without ever meeting with a provider.

“My now ex-husband was pressuring me to abort my pregnancy,” Williams said. “At the time, I was also experiencing the emotional roller coaster of going through a divorce.”

“I was vulnerable, emotionally exhausted, and experiencing one of the lowest points in my life,” Williams said.

“I took the first abortion pill after succumbing to the pressures from my ex-husband,” Williams said. “Within the next 24 hours, my mind, body, and spirit spiraled with confusion and a variety of emotions. I wondered if my baby was still alive.”

Because of her background as a nurse, Williams knew there might still be a chance that her unborn daughter was still alive. Staff at a pregnancy resource center stepped in to help her and her unborn daughter.

“I was connected with a compassionate pregnancy resource center in Las Vegas, where I obtained a free ultrasound, was prescribed the abortion pill reversal, and was supported through one of the hardest times of my life,” Williams continued.

“Because of abortion pill reversal, my daughter, Kaylie, is alive,” Williams said. “She is now 3. Sheʼs healthy, beautiful, thriving, and one of the greatest blessings of my life.”

As a nurse, Williams calls the current system “predatory.”

Mail-order abortion lacks the safeguards that in-person visits entail — including ensuring the drugs go to the right person.

Jessica Williams, a registered nurse, advocates for informed consent for women who take the abortion pill. In her own experience, abortion pill reversal saved the life of her daughter, who is now 3 years old. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jessica Williams

Jessica Williams, a registered nurse, advocates for informed consent for women who take the abortion pill. In her own experience, abortion pill reversal saved the life of her daughter, who is now 3 years old. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Jessica Williams

“No woman should ever feel trapped, isolated, or without someone to help or understand her options,” she said. “As a medical professional we are sworn in to do no harm.”

“Every woman deserves to make decisions free from coercion or pressure, and with appropriate medical support,” Williams continued.

In addition, Williams is advocating for more information about abortion pill reversal to be given to women. In her own case, she was told that the practice was dangerous.

“As a registered nurse, informed consent has always been one of the most fundamental principles of medicine,” Williams said. “Women deserve complete information about their medical options. They deserve compassionate care.”

If things had been a little different, Williams might not have her daughter Kaylee with her — and that thought motivates her to advocate for other women in similar situations.

Jessica Williams and her 3-year-old daughter were helped by First Choice Pregnancy Services in Las Vegas. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

Jessica Williams and her 3-year-old daughter were helped by First Choice Pregnancy Services in Las Vegas. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America

“I often think about what my life would look like had I never learned that another option existed,” Williams said. “Thatʼs why I continue to share my story.”

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