Andrea Prudente Case: US Woman Denied Spontaneous Abortion to Save Her Life to Sue Malta Government

While on a holiday in Malta, Andrea Prudente, 38, suffered an incomplete miscarriage and needed a life-saving spontaneous abortion that was banned in the country. At the risk of losing her life, Prudente, and her partner Jay Weeldreyer, 45, tapped their efforts and resources to fly to Spain so she could have the much-needed procedure.

Prudente's ordeal became an international issue that laid bare the problems with anti-abortion policies. Prior to leaving for their babymoon, the couple was not aware that Malta had one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world.

Speaking with Malta Today, Prudente said that she's still in the process of grieving the daughter she lost but once she recovers and sorts through what she calls the "emotional wreckage," she plans on taking action against those who put her life at risk, including potentially suing the Malta government.

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What Happened to Andrea Prudente in Malta?

Prudente was on the 16th week of a healthy pregnancy when she woke up in a pool of blood at their hotel in Malta. She and Weeldreyer were actually on the Mediterranean island for two weeks to celebrate their upcoming baby.

The pregnant woman was rushed to the Mater Dei Hospital, where doctors told the couple that she had an unviable pregnancy. Ultrasound results confirmed that she was bleeding because her placenta separated from her uterus, her water broke, and there was no more amniotic fluid, which meant that her baby will not survive. However, she needed an additional procedure as her miscarriage was incomplete.

Yet the doctors hesitated to perform a spontaneous abortion, the most logical procedure that will ensure Prudente will not die of sepsis. They were restricted by laws to intervene with the unviable pregnancy because the baby's heartbeat was still pounding. The couple was advised to wait for the heartbeat to stop but that raised Prudente's risk of hemorrhage and infection.

A few days after the incomplete miscarriage and still without any action from Mater Dei Hospital, Weeldreyer found a way to fly Prudente out of Malta and into Spain, where she could finally get the procedure. Travel was also a risk because the pregnant woman could bleed out but she finally "delivered" her dead daughter on a Saturday morning.

"It was really hard, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, beautiful and cathartic experience," Prudente told NBC News. "We just held her and we cried."

Outrage and Petition to Change Laws

Prudente and Weeldreyer said they are hurt and angry over what happened. To be clear, this pregnancy was wanted thus it was painful for the pregnant mom to go through a needed pregnancy termination.

Weeldreyer added that they felt attacked as a family when Prudente didn't receive the right medical care in Malta. The couple said they will use this experience to usher change so that no woman will go through the same thing again.

Following Prudente's case, 135 doctors in Malta filed a petition to ask the government to review its restrictive abortion laws. According to The Guardian, Malta has not changed this law since the 1850s. The law has not protected women from medical risks and the doctors who could help save lives.

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