By Anne Reed
Two emergency vehicles, with sirens blaring and lights activated, arrived on the scene of an emergency at Hope Clinic for Women (HCW) in Granite City, Illinois, on Wednesday, October 12, shortly before 6 p.m.
The 911 dispatcher’s questions concerning the condition of the patient were unusually curtailed, and the caller’s language and tone seemed to be an attempt to minimize the seriousness of the situation.
The 911 recording, however, does confirm that a woman was experiencing post-procedure complications that required a “higher level of care.” The caller requested transport to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Call for Service Detail Report noted the emergency was coded “high” priority.
This deceitfully named, high-volume, late-term abortion clinic has a growing number of botched abortions. Since the spring of 2020, Operation Rescue has reported 13 emergencies requiring transport of women to nearby hospitals for urgent follow-up care. The actual number of women critically injured is unknown, as Operation Rescue is dependent on observations from active pro-lifers in the vicinity. Once information is received, we are able to initiate our investigative efforts.
When these compassionate, courageous life-affirming individuals are not present, disturbing medical emergencies like this one go without being noticed or reported.
On this particular day, volunteers of 40 Days for Life were praying on the sidewalk and observed a woman appearing to be “very late-term” enter the building. About eight hours later the same woman was wheeled out on a gurney and loaded into an emergency vehicle.
Volunteers observed abortionist Erin King arriving on the property early that morning and another abortionist arriving shortly after the patient in question went inside.
This clinic claims to perform abortions up to 24 weeks gestation. Babies born at that stage of development have nearly a 70% survival rate according to a 2016 analysis. But when a pregnant woman enters HCW for an abortion, there is literally no hope of survival for the baby growing in her womb.
HCW changed ownership in March. The highly suspicious nature of details surrounding the transfer of majority ownership to Julie Burkhart, a woman with a sordid history, was published by Operation Rescue in July. Operation Rescue has since obtained the transfer of ownership documents (facility licensure and real estate), courtesy of Pro-life Action League. Although the fair market value of the real estate and land was $1.7 million, the total purchase price was $2.2 million.
Burkhart was heavily involved with the late, late-term abortionist George Tiller. And according to her bio, co-owner, Kathy Dean, appears to have worked for another notorious, late-term abortionist, LeRoy Carhart, who is currently under investigation by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for extensive abortion-related injuries.
Pro-lifers reported unusual sightings of two of HCW’s three owners in the days following this emergency.
“This clinic has been on our radar for a long time as an extremely dangerous, late-term abortion business,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “With Julie Burkhart at the helm, we expect to see an increase in killing. And, as unsuspecting women travel from neighboring states like Arkansas and Louisiana, we also expect to see a disturbing increase in women being maimed. We grieve for these babies and their mothers and continue to fight and pray for an end to this evil.”
