Kayla’s Story
Kayla and James were excited to learn they were expecting another child. They discovered the pregnancy on Mother’s Day and began imagining life as a family of four with their young daughter.
Everything seemed to be going well until Kayla’s 20-week anatomy scan. During the ultrasound, the technician spent a long time examining the baby’s heart. Soon afterward, doctors confirmed that their baby — whom they named Brooks — had severe medical complications and was unlikely to survive.
“Had I not gone out of state for an abortion, I could have died from complications with preeclampsia, leaving my daughter without a mother and my husband without a wife.”
Kayla and James met with specialists and carefully considered their options. They wanted their son and had hoped to bring him home. But the medical reality they faced was devastating. Continuing the pregnancy could also put Kayla’s health at risk. Because of Idaho’s abortion ban, the couple could not receive the care they needed in their home state.
Doctors explained that the procedure Kayla needed could not be provided in Idaho under current law. Like many families facing serious pregnancy complications, Kayla and James were referred out of state for care.
At 21 weeks pregnant, the couple traveled to Washington to receive medical treatment. Instead of bringing home their newborn son, they returned to Idaho with a small white memory box holding keepsakes from Brooks — a painful reminder of the child they had hoped to raise.
Families like Kayla and James are part of a growing number of Idaho patients being referred out of state when pregnancy complications arise. Physicians across the state have reported that Idaho’s abortion ban has created uncertainty about what care can legally be provided, contributing to strain within the state’s healthcare system and making it harder for some hospitals to recruit and retain specialists.
For Kayla, sharing Brooks’ story is a way to help others understand the complex and heartbreaking situations families can face during pregnancy.
