I Just Want To Get Out Alive, US Tourist Says As Malta’s Refusal To Offer Live-Saving Abortion Attracts Global Attention
Some of the world’s largest media outlets have picked up on the case of Andrea Prudente, the US tourist who has been denied an abortion in Malta despite suffering serious pregnancy problems.
“I just want to get out of here alive,” Prudente told The Guardian, which was one of the first international news sites to write about her case.
“I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have thought up a nightmare like this.”
She said she was “desperate” to leave Malta and receive proper medical care but also wanted to raise awareness about the abortion situation in Malta to stop others suffering like she has.
“I don’t want this to happen to more people,” she said.
The BBC spoke to Women’s Rights Foundation activist Lara Dimitrijevic, who warned that while women in Malta rarely speak out about their experiences trying to get an abortion, Prudente’s case has encouraged some to come forward.
“The general practice is that doctors either let the body expel the foetus on its own, or – if the patient gets very ill and develops sepsis – then they will intervene to try to save the mother’s life,” Dimitrijevic said.
“We know that on average there are two or three cases like this every year, but after Andrea came out publicly with her story on social media, we started seeing many more women coming forward and sharing their experience.”
Vice News spoke to Prudente’s partner Jay Weeldreyer, who recounted his struggles to obtain a copy of their medical records to send to their insurance company.
“They outright refused for almost a full day, they gave me a run around. I was standing outside the clerical room with them in and the women in there were scowling at me. Finally one of them give me the envelope with the photocopies in and said, ‘Are you happy now?” he said.
Other media outlets like Reuters and The Daily Beast have also written about Prudente’s case.
Prudente and her partner Jay Weeldreyer were on holiday in Malta for their “babymoon”, a celebration of the upcoming birth of their first child.
However, Prudente was admitted to hospital with severe bleeding in her 16th week of pregnancy and doctors told her that her placenta had become partially detached and the baby had a “zero chance” of survival.
Yet, as per Malta’s strict anti-abortion laws, doctors told her they couldn’t terminate the pregnancy as long as the foetus had a heartbeat.
Women’s rights activist Andrea Dibben said Prudente’s case has already been brought to the attention of international bodies, including the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.
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