November 23, 2025
The loss of life of 37-year-old Tierra Walker reportedly marks the fourth such case in Texas.
A Texas mom who pleaded with docs for an abortion on account of her severe medical dangers died after being denied care, based on a brand new investigation by ProPublica. The loss of life of 37-year-old Tierra Walker marks the fourth such case in Texas uncovered by the nonprofit for the reason that state enacted its abortion ban.
Walker started experiencing unexplained seizures simply weeks into her being pregnant in 2024. With a historical past of preeclampsia—a harmful situation that had beforehand induced her to lose twins—she requested her medical workforce if ending the being pregnant may shield her well being. In accordance to KVUE, she was refused.
Roughly two months later, Walker’s teenage son discovered her unresponsive in her room on his birthday. She was 20 weeks pregnant.
“That is the fourth incident ProPublica has reported on,” journalist Kavitha Surana defined, noting earlier circumstances involving Josseli Barnica, Nevaeh Crain, and Porsha Ngumezi. Surana mentioned the findings with KVUE, saying her workforce has spent greater than a yr inspecting maternal deaths in states with abortion bans. “We’ve already uncovered three circumstances, really, in Texas and two in Georgia that had been associated to entry to reproductive care.”
Surana stated they discovered of Walker’s state of affairs by way of her household, who accompanied her throughout repeated ER and prenatal visits. “They had been in a position to witness the deterioration of her well being,” she stated, including that Walker “was very involved about her well being” as her seizures continued, her blood strain spiked, and blood clots developed.
Greater than a dozen OB-GYN specialists reviewed Walker’s medical information for ProPublica. Surana stated the specialists agreed that commonplace care would have included repeated counseling about her dangers and the choice to finish the being pregnant at any level for well being causes. As an alternative, Walker “was dismissed,” her household informed reporters.
At the same time as her situation grew extra precarious, Texas legislation left physicians unsure about their capacity to intervene. “These legal guidelines don’t depart plenty of area… they don’t have exceptions for well being dangers,” Surana stated. Medical doctors, she added, worry the state’s extreme prison penalties—as much as 99 years in jail and lack of licensure.
Walker in the end died from preeclampsia, compounded by an enlarged coronary heart, fluid buildup, and kidney injury. “She wasn’t even really conscious of how dangerous her being pregnant had turn out to be,” Surana famous.
Texas lawmakers lately handed laws supposed to provide physicians extra room to make use of medical judgment, however the measure took impact after Walker’s loss of life. When ProPublica requested the invoice’s authors whether or not it could cowl circumstances like Walker’s, none responded. Just one Democratic lawmaker replied, saying the reforms “didn’t go far sufficient.”
Walker leaves behind a 14-year-old son, whom she apprehensive she may by no means see develop up, her household stated.
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