A colleague on an overnight call received a phone call from doctor in Guam regarding a 19 year old woman they wanted to transfer. I’ll call her Marie. She was in the military and was 16 weeks pregnant with severe fetal anomaly. She had been having bleeding because she has a placenta previa, which is when the placenta covers the opening to the uterus and can result in a lot of bleeding. They wanted to transfer her for the remainder of her pregnancy because they didn’t feel they could adequately take care of potential heavy bleeding as a result of this condition.

She was an ocean away from her family; her pregnancy, while once wanted, was complicated by a severe fetal anomaly and she was bleeding

Once she arrived, she stated that she wanted an abortion. We appealed to her insurance, but they obviously would not cover an abortion due to the Hyde Amendment. She was an ocean away from her family; her pregnancy, while once wanted, was complicated by a severe fetal anomaly and she was bleeding. They wanted her to remain in this situation for another five months. So we worked on this for a week, making phone calls, writing letters, trying to find funding for her to have the abortion she wanted to have.

Here was a woman fighting to defend our country, and she had less health care than I have myself. That’s wrong. Your access to health should not depend on who you work for.

Here was a woman fighting to defend our country, and she had less health care than I have myself. That’s wrong. Your access to health should not depend on who you work for.