{"id":2122750,"date":"2023-12-12T12:13:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-woman-seeking-medical-exemption-for-abortion-exposes-needed-protections-for-disabled-children\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T12:20:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T17:20:05","slug":"texas-woman-seeking-medical-exemption-for-abortion-exposes-needed-protections-for-disabled-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-woman-seeking-medical-exemption-for-abortion-exposes-needed-protections-for-disabled-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas woman seeks medical exemption for abortion, highlights importance of protections for disabled children"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftexas-woman-seeking-medical-exemption-for-abortion-exposes-needed-protections-for-disabled-children%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2122750&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<h2>Katie Cox&#8217;s Fight for Abortion Rights<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Katie\u2062 Cox, the woman at the center of the Texas firestorm surrounding \u2063medical \u200dexemptions to abortion \u2064bans, plans to travel out of state to \u200dprocure an abortion linked to\u2063 a fetal anomaly. Her child \u200dhas Trisomy 18, a genetic disorder, and\u200c the court documents linked to Cox\u2019s case do \u2063not demonstrate compelling evidence of maternal health risk that would allow\u200c her a medical exemption to receive \u200dan abortion. Cox\u2062 was granted an\u2062 exemption to Texas state law, one of the most restrictive in \u200bthe country, last Thursday, but the \u200bexemption \u200dwas halted by the Texas Supreme Court late \u200dFriday evening. Finally, late Monday night, the Texas Supreme \u200bCourt\u2063 ruled \u200dagainst\u2062 the case of\u200b Cox v. Texas, \u2062stating that her pregnancy does \u2062not demonstrate \u201cheightened\u200c risks\u201d in order to fall\u200d under the medical provision available in \u200bTexas state law.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>A Landmark Case<\/h3>\n<p>Cox \u2063is \u2064believed to be the \u2063first currently pregnant woman to litigate \u2064her right to abortion since the passage of Roe v. Wade\u2063 in 1973, but she will not be the \u2063last. A pregnant woman recently filed a suit in \u200dKentucky\u200d to argue her right to abortion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1479373169\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e9e0bef136368ae0f1d94bb00f215680 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e9e0bef136368ae0f1d94bb00f215680\"><\/div>\n<p>State lawmakers have much to celebrate with the\u2062 recent passage \u2062of abortion bans in states like Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, \u2064and more. However, Cox v.\u200b Texas demonstrates this work is just the beginning, and more legislation is needed to protect the rights of the unborn, \u200cparticularly the disabled. States\u2062 should expect increasing\u200c litigation arguing that fetal abnormalities place mothers\u2019 lives at\u200b risk, \u200dand therefore fall under\u200d medical exemptions, as the Center for\u200d Reproductive Right\u2019s Molly Duane is arguing on behalf of \u2062plaintiff\u2064 Katie Cox.<\/p>\n<p>Despite abortion bans passed in my home \u2064state\u200c of North Carolina\u2063 earlier this \u2063year, disabled\u2064 children are still at risk of being terminated\u2063 because of their disability. North Carolina\u2019s SB 20 enacted one\u2063 of the more restrictive abortion bans in the country, limiting\u200d abortions after 12 weeks\u2062 gestation\u200d except in specifically outlined \u2064instances.<\/p>\n<p>Urgent legislation is\u200b needed\u2063 to address holes in \u2063state statutes surrounding \u2062unborn children with fetal\u200d abnormalities.\u2063 North Carolina\u2019s SB 20 does outlaw terminations for Down Syndrome discovered after 12\u2063 weeks gestation, along with race and sex-selective abortions. However, this provision should be expanded to include \u200dchildren with any abnormality or\u2063 genetic condition\u200b discovered in\u2062 utero.<\/p>\n<p>As Cox v. Texas demonstrates, children with other\u200c genetic\u2062 conditions are at great risk\u2062 across\u200b the country. Ms. Cox alleges\u200c that the current abortion ban targets her constitutional\u2063 rights as\u200b a Texan, as she and her physicians believe continuing\u2064 her pregnancy threatens her life and liberty, despite compelling evidence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-15750242168d47e72c9ac502d105c025 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-15750242168d47e72c9ac502d105c025\"><\/div>\n<p>If Cox was a \u200bNorth \u200dCarolinian, she would have\u2062 a legal\u2062 right to abortion \u2063for this child until 24 weeks \u2062gestation. That is simply unacceptable. A disabled child&#8217;s \u2063right \u200dto\u200d life\u200b does not magically change at a certain gestational age but is\u200d present from\u200c the\u2063 time of conception.<\/p>\n<p>States that have passed abortion restrictions need to understand that provisions\u200b explicitly protecting\u2064 disabled children are \u200bcritical to the pro-life position. The power of the state should be focused on protecting the truly vulnerable. As it stands, current North Carolina law is discriminatory, stating that although a woman\u2063 does not have a right to \u2062abort a child because of\u2064 sex, race, and presence of Down Syndrome past 12 weeks gestation, \u2063abortion for\u200c the presence of \u2063other fetal abnormalities up to 24 weeks \u2062is fair \u200bgame.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers need to \u200bbe prepared for the possibility that even with bans\u200c limiting \u200babortion after a later gestational age, advocates will find a \u2063way to link maternal \u2064health outcomes to the presence of fetal abnormalities, \u200cdespite evidence.<\/p>\n<p>When my own son was diagnosed with a set of fatal birth\u2062 defects at 17 weeks gestation here in North Carolina, it was\u2062 indeed devastating, \u2063but \u200dmy health was \u200dnot \u2062at\u2063 risk. My son and\u200b those like him deserve the same protection that \u2062is afforded to \u2063unborn children with Down Syndrome under North Carolina law. Anything\u200b less is not acceptable. Diagnosis\u2062 of a particular disability should not threaten \u2062a child\u2019s \u200bright to life, whether in the womb or out of it, or cause \u2064a mother to \u200begregiously argue\u200c that her child\u2019s \u200cdisability threatens her life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-34c8fd611b82dc02528650f12d8108ab fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-34c8fd611b82dc02528650f12d8108ab\"><\/div>\n<p>My son, \u2063David, is a bright reminder that sometimes children blessedly outperform their fatal diagnoses and chart their own trajectories. David is miraculously still living, because\u200b I protected his right to life. A state can\u200d legislate, \u200ca doctor\u200c can \u2064guess, but only \u200da mother can love.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How do\u200d abortion laws that restrict access\u2062 to medical\u200c exemptions in cases \u200cof <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-calls-down-syndrome-a-severe-birth-defect-blasted-by-parents-of-special-needs-children\/\" title=\"WHO Calls Down Syndrome A \u2018Severe Birth Defect,\u2019 Blasted By Parents Of Special Needs Children\">severe fetal anomalies<\/a> impact the well-being of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-not-pro-choice-to-attack-pregnancy-centers-that-offer-choices\/\" title=\"It\u2019s Not Pro-Choice To Attack Pregnancy Centers That Offer Choices\">pregnant women facing<\/a> these circumstances?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ply because North Carolina\u2062 allows for abortions up to 24\u200c weeks if the fetus has a severe fetal\u200c anomaly. However, Texas law \u200bdoes not grant \u2064the same \u200crights\u200c to pregnant women like Cox, who are faced with such circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3>The Need \u2064for Compassion \u200cand Understanding<\/h3>\n<p>The case of Katie Cox highlights \u2064the urgent\u200c need for compassion and understanding when \u200cit \u2064comes to the\u2063 issue of \u2063abortion.\u2064 It is essential to\u200b recognize that every situation\u2063 is unique, and no woman should be \u200bforced to carry a pregnancy that\u200b threatens her health and well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Abortion laws that restrict\u200b access to medical exemptions in cases of severe fetal anomalies only add to\u2063 the already immense burden \u200cthat \u200dwomen like \u200dCox face. It is\u2062 crucial for legislators to\u2063 carefully consider\u200c the impact\u200b of these\u200c laws and\u2062 ensure\u2063 that the rights of pregnant\u2064 women are protected.<\/p>\n<h3>Protecting the Rights of the \u2063Unborn<\/h3>\n<p>While it is essential to protect the rights and well-being of \u2063pregnant women, it\u200c is \u2064also crucial to consider the rights of the unborn. Laws that\u200c ban abortions outright or restrict access beyond a \u200ccertain gestational \u2064age aim to safeguard the\u2062 lives\u200d of the unborn.<\/p>\n<p>However, it \u200dis vital to strike \u2063a balance between protecting the\u2062 rights of the unborn\u200b and\u200b recognizing \u200bthe \u2063unique circumstances surrounding each pregnancy. Legislation should be crafted \u2064to\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theyre-a-joke-theyve-disgraced-themselves-megyn-kelly-rips-cdc-on-kids-vaccines\/\" title=\"\u2018They\u2019re A Joke. They\u2019ve Disgraced Themselves\u2019: Megyn Kelly Rips CDC On Kids\u2019 Vaccines\">provide medical exemptions<\/a> \u200bin cases where continuing the \u200cpregnancy \u2063poses a significant risk to the mother&#8217;s health or in situations involving severe fetal anomalies.<\/p>\n<h3>Looking Towards\u200c the Future<\/h3>\n<p>The case of Katie Cox\u200c is \u2063not isolated. It serves as a rallying cry for further examination of existing abortion \u2063laws and the need for legislation that considers the complexities of pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>State lawmakers must address the gaps in\u200c current statutes\u200c and enact legislation that ensures \u2064the rights of unborn children with fetal abnormalities are protected. This should involve expanding provisions to include any abnormality or genetic condition discovered during\u200c pregnancy.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, it \u200bis crucial for society to foster an environment \u2063of \u200bempathy and\u200c support for\u2064 pregnant women facing \u200cdifficult decisions. These women\u2064 should not be\u200d subjected to \u2064judgment or stigmatization\u2064 but instead provided with the \u2062necessary resources and \u200bsupport to make\u200b the\u2064 best decision for themselves and their families.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, the case \u2064of Katie \u200bCox \u2062highlights the ongoing fight for abortion rights and \u2063the need for comprehensive legislation \u2062that considers\u2064 the unique circumstances of each pregnancy. It\u2063 is\u200d essential for \u200blawmakers to strike a balance between protecting the rights of pregnant women and \u2062safeguarding\u200c the \u2062lives of the unborn. Ultimately, it is the duty of society to \u200bapproach this issue with compassion and understanding, ensuring that\u2063 individuals like Cox are\u200d granted \u2063the dignity \u2063and \u2063autonomy they\u200d deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Katie Cox, central to the Texas abortion exemption controversy, will go out of state for an abortion due to her child&#8217;s Trisomy 18. Court papers lack strong proof of maternal concerns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2603,"featured_media":2122751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2122750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2122750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2122750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2122751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2122750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2122750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2122750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}