Autopsy Contradicts Woman's Botched Abortion Claim
Posted: 12:04 pm EDT April 29, 2005Updated: 5:01 pm EDT April 29, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Channel 9 has uncovered new details about a woman's claim that a local abortion clinic botched a late term abortion. She says the infant was born and later died. Friday afternoon, the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office announced that they reconsidered this case and did perform an autopsy. They found the baby, who the mother named Rowin, was not born alive."These allegations are nothing more than an attempt to attack those medical professionals and the staff who perform medical termination services," commented EPOC clinic spokesperson Marti MacKenzie.Friday, the clinic at the center of the controversy defended itself against allegations that an aborted baby was born alive and allowed to die, suggesting the woman who made the claim lied."I can't get into the motive of why anyone is saying anything, but Doctor Pendergraft says it absolutely never happened," said MacKenzie.Thursday, attorneys for the woman making the claim released a pre-recorded interview with her. She claims staffers at the EPOC Clinic did nothing to help her child after she believed he was born alive and she had a sudden change of heart."I saw my son, Rowin, move. Of course, my heart stopped and I screamed very loudly," the woman said in the interview.A clinic spokesperson said they could not comment on specifics of the case.The Medical Examiner's Office said they performed an autopsy, but did not perform toxicology tests. An official complaint filed with the state claims a doctor failed to administer a drug called digoxin, which would have killed the unborn child before delivery."It is very easy, through a toxicology report, to find out if that drug is in Rowin," said pro-life activist Rev. Patrick Mahoney.The fact that no toxicology screening was done may be the one thing that keeps this dispute from ending now. The woman's attorney has suggested hiring a private pathologist to perform the toxicology. They have not said yet if that's what they plan to do now.
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