September 2024
Dr. Laura Lewis
Sasha’s Short Life
A life ended too soon.
I recently read about the tragic death of a 19-year-old Canadian woman from a medical abortion (“the abortion pill”). I don’t know her name, but I’ll call her Sasha because she is deserving of a name.
Sasha isn’t just a statistic of a failed medical procedure. She was a young woman on the threshold of life with so much ahead of her. Yet, Sasha and her unborn child died from septic shock caused by the abortion pill, Mifegymiso.[1] Stories like Sasha’s are not talked about, yet they should be. So many what-ifs come to mind.
Sasha might be here today, living the life we would hope for a 19-year-old—maybe heading off to college, travelling, or spending the fall with friends and family. But her story ended far too soon.
The false narrative about the safety and ease of the abortion pill continues to mislead so many – that it is an easy DIY solution to an unplanned pregnancy, and life will carry on afterwards unhindered. It is sobering and disturbing to read the list of Canadian women this drug has harmed.
Another case report is about a 17-year-old who is noted to have sustained the following adverse reactions to the abortion pill: Abortion incomplete, Abortion infected, Cardiomyopathy, Circulatory collapse, Escherichia sepsis, Lung assist device therapy, Septic shock, Uterine dilation and curettage.[2] Thankfully, this young woman survived. However, one can’t help but wonder about the ongoing physical and emotional cost of this trauma for this 17-year-old.
Pregnancy Care Canada and our network of support, both online and at local pregnancy care centres, are positioned to ensure no woman feels abortion is her only choice.
With your help, we continue to look for ways to expand this vital safety net through Google Ads, social media, ongoing support of local centres, and a new initiative to be launched next spring to help the church engage in a greater way.
We are a gentle voice in an often loud and contentious space. But we have hope, and we see change. As we continue to anchor our work and our hearts in the compassion and strength of Christ, we have what we need to keep pressing on for the sake of young women like Sasha.
Click here for Sasha’s report and for instructions on accessing the information on Health Canada’s Adverse Reaction Database.
[1] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/medeffect-canada/adverse-reaction-database.html(Accessed August 2024)
[2] Ibid.
If you need to talk to someone about an unexpected pregnancy and would like accurate information on your options, go to our website: https://pregnancycarecanada.ca/looking-for-help/. You can find a pregnancy care centre near you or you can connect with someone online who can help. We’re here for you.