Cleveland, OH – The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s office released a statement this afternoon indicating that the death of Lakisha Wilson, 22, died as the result of a heart attack suffered immediately after she underwent a therapeutic abortion. The full autopsy report is not yet available, according to the statement.
This finding confirms what Operation Rescue has said since this tragedy occurred, that Wilson’s death was an abortion-related one.
“After we obtained 911 records that stated a patient was ‘not breathing at all, along with the notation that there was a patient death, we were sure that Wilson died from abortion complications. That has now been confirmed by the Medical Examiner’s office,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “If Lakisha Wilson had not gone to Preterm, she would be alive today. We renew our call for the closure of that abortion clinic in order to protect other women from suffering Lakisha’s tragic fate.”
Wilson was given an abortion at the Preterm abortion facility in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, March 21, 2014. At 10:59 am that morning, a 911 call was placed and Wilson was later transported to University Hospital Case Medical Center where she was placed on life support. She was pronounced dead on March 28.
Operation Rescue joined with national and state pro-life leaders at a news conference held at Preterm on April 2, where they called for the Ohio Department of Health to shut Preterm down. During the press conference, ODH officials were conducting an inspection of Preterm. Their investigation in ongoing.
Dr. Day Gardner of the National Black Pro-Life Union is acting spokesperson for Lakisha Wilson’s family. She can be reached for comment from the family’s perspective at (202) 834-0844.
Read Full Statement from Medical Examiner’s Office
Additional Background