Posted on 02/10/2013 6:00:07 PM PST by Morgana
The woman who died and was a victim of a botched 33-week abortion has been identified as 29-year-old Jennifer McKenna Morbelli, of New Rochelle, New York.
A report from pro-life blogger Jill Stanek says two sources confirmed the identity of the victim. Morbilli died Thursday as the result of fatal complications suffered during an abortion at 33 weeks at the hand of late-term abortion practitioner LeRoy Carhart. The abortion took place at the Germantown Reproductive Health Center in Germantown, Maryland.
“Carhart’s alleged victims were 29-year-old Jennifer McKenna Morbelli, pictured right, and her 33-week-old preborn daughter, Madison Leigh,” Stanek reports. “I have confirmed the identities of the victims through two sources. After a name ID was received from an impeccable informant, sidewalk counselors at the abortion clinic positively identified Jennifer’s obituary photo. Jennifer’s obituary also states she “passed away suddenly.”
“Jennifer was married and a kindergarten teacher at Church Street Elementary School in White Plains, New York. Jennifer was carrying a wanted baby. At present her registry is still online,” Stanek added. “Approximately two weeks ago Jennifer learned her daughter suffered from fetal anomalies. Jennifer, her husband, her parents, and her sister traveled to Carhart’s late-term Germantown Reproductive Health Services abortion clinic in Germantown, Maryland.”
According to information the pro-life group Operation Rescue released to LifeNews on Friday, the then-unnamed woman arrived at Germantown Reproductive Health Center on Sunday to start the abortion process. Local pro-life advocates protesting outside saw her every day until yesterday, and described her as appearing “pale and weak.”
Early Thursday morning, the woman began suffering chest pain and other discomforts, the group informed LifeNews. Her attempts to reach Carhart were unsuccessful. The woman was taken by her family from her hotel to a nearby hospital emergency room at approximately 5:00 a.m. Efforts by hospital staff to contact Carhart or get informational assistance from the abortion clinic were unsuccessful.
Operation Rescue says the abortion patient suffered massive internal bleeding into her abdominal cavity. She slipped into a Code Blue condition approximately six times before finally succumbing to her injuries at around 9:30 a.m. The case has been placed with the Medical Examiner for further investigation.
Stanek, in her report, provides more details on the timeline of the events that led to Morbelli’s death.
They began the abortion process on Sunday, February 3, in the afternoon, according to sidewalk counselors who maintain a constant presence at the clinic when it is open. They noted Jennifer appeared “very” late-term.
According to those counselors, Sunday is when Carhart kills late-term babies by lethal injection into the heart through the mothers’ abdominal wall.
Jennifer and her family returned on Monday, presumably to begin the labor induction process by insertion of laminaria or prostaglandins to dilate the cervix, and again on Tuesday.
They presumably spent each night at a nearby hotel, as is the usual process for a multi-day, late-term abortion at Carhart’s Germantown clinic.
The family returned again on Wednesday, presumably for the delivery of Jennifer’s dead baby Madison, staying nine hours, an extraordinary length of time. They left at 4:35 p.m.
Each day sidewalk counselors noted in real-time annotations that Jennifer appeared more and more pale.
Carhart and his wife Mary Lou left soon afterward. The two typically fly out on Wednesday afternoons to either Indianapolis, Indiana, or Bellevue, Nebraska, to commit abortions on Thursdays. Carhart is what’s known as a “circuit rider” abortionist.
At approximately 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 7, Jennifer presented at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, Maryland, which is almost nine miles from Carhart’s clinic.
Family members told hospital personnel they had tried to call Carhart several times, but he did not return their calls.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. Jennifer coded. She coded a total of six times before she was pronounced dead at about 10:00 a.m.
It was during this time Carhart called the hospital. He never showed up.
The obituary for Jennifer reads:
Jennifer was born in New Rochelle to Kevin and Lisa McKenna. She graduated from New Rochelle High School and then went on to attend the University of Delaware where she met her college sweet heart TJ, whom she married in 2009. She was a kindergarten teacher at Preschool Learning Center in New Rochelle and then went on to teach at Church Street Elementary in White Plains. She will always be remembered for living everyday to the fullest with a smile on her face. Jennifer was loved by all who were fortunate enough to meet her. Besides her adoring parents, she is survived by her husband TJ who was the love of her life, Her cherished brother Kevin and sister Kristin, her grandmother Helen McKenna and Uncle’s Mark and Carl Benevento. She also leaves behind her loving God parents Susan & Roy Porto, in-laws Mario and Kathy Morbelli and many other aunts, uncles and cousins. Visitation will be held on Monday evening from 7-9pm and Tuesday from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday 10am at Holy Name of Jesus in New Rochelle. Jennifer and her baby girl Madison will be interred at Greenwood Union Cemetery in Rye. In Lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Jennifer and Madison to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 800-805-5856.
“The avoidable death of this young woman dramatically illustrates the dangers of third trimester abortions that are done outside of the safety of obstetrical standards,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-life Nation.
Newman told LifeNews, “In 2005, Carhart was also involved in the death of Christin Gilbert, who died after a third trimester abortion in Wichita, Kansas. It is time for medical boards to put an end to these horrifically dangerous and barbaric third trimester abortions. If they do not, we can only expect Carhart and his associates to send more women to the morgue.”
The Maryland Medical Examiner spent a significant amount of time reviewing the case and the records at the hospital on Thursday, and determined the case needed further investigation due to the unusual circumstances of her death, according to information provided to LifeNews.
“It is so tragic that this family had to lose not only their nearly full-term child, but also their wife, daughter, and sister,” said Michael Martelli, Executive Director of the Maryland Coalition for Life. “What is most appalling is that the State of Maryland refused to hear the pleas of this community, and has allowed this man to continue to butcher women and children.”
On the very same day that this woman died, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene posted on their website that they issued a license to Carhart’s clinic to perform abortions — without a single inspection of the facility, Martelli said.
“He already killed Christin Gilbert in Kansas in 2005, and now another senseless tragedy has come as a result of Carhart’s so-called women’s healthcare and the apathy of the pro-abortion Maryland State Government,” said Martelli.
Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, also responded to the abortion death.
“It has happened again. Another mother has been killed by so-called ‘safe and legal’ abortion. It happens constantly, in fact, but the abortion industry usually succeeds in covering it up. And even when they don’t, the rest of us succeed in keeping it relatively quiet,” he told LifeNews. “That has to change today.”
A prayer vigil, memorial, and follow-up press conference will be held in Germantown at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 11, just next to the office park where Carhart conducted the third trimester abortion.
Perhaps the family is saying the baby was already dead to save face. No one goes to an out of state late term abortion clinic in order to deliver an already-dead baby. In time, I hope the family can come to terms and admit the truth and perhaps come out as string public opponents of late term abortion. Silent no more.
Believe what you want, but if Jen's life were at risk and she was unable to go through labor to deliver a dead child, why would the hospital not do a D&C? I know it's horrific to think of a 30+ week preborn child being sliced up in utero but it is not illegal and even in prolife Pennsylvania it is a fairly common practice among high risk groups. One of my grandchildren died at 36 weeks in utero and my daughter was given the option of a D&C or a delivery. She chose delivery. Our niece was in a similar situation with a far along baby but actually chose the D&C because for her the alternative was a C-Section and while she felt very guilty for dismembering the body of her unborn child she and her husband made what they believed was the best decision for their family. This was three years ago and the procedure was done at Long Island Jewish in NY.
This family needs prayers, particular prayers, because they are surely dealing with tremendous guilt along with the loss of Jen and her daughter.
Like you said: no one visits an abortionist for an already dead baby. My mother lost one child at a fairly late date and had to have a D&C, which her rabidly pro life physician performed for her (and which nearly killed her; these things are not safe and predictable).
The only “skill” an abortionist has that a real doctor doesn’t, is the willingness to kill a living child.
My main point, if the neighbor is still reading, is that it is truly nonsensical to think an abortionist several states away could do this procedure better than a physician in a hospital.
Oh, I didn’t think you were judgmental, just trying to add more anecdotal evidence to support that there is NEVER a reason to go to an abortionist, states away, who has already killed multiple women, to resolve a pregnancy that’s already ended.
I doubt they will report on it. The important thing is the doctor made his money, and did his work of great charity.
Amen. My ex-wife and I were told she was carrying a child with significant deformities at six months. She was given a choice to abort the baby immediately or wait until the child died and have labor induced. To her everlasting credit, she chose the latter. She carried a child she knew to be dying for almost another month. It was agonizing physically, mentally and emotionally and she would do it again without hesitation. If this young woman’s life was endangered by the “fetal abnormalities”, then she should have been in a hospital. If the baby was in jeopardy, she should have beein in the hospital. Going to this butcher was the wrong choice and it cost them both their lives. We baptised and buried our beautiful daughter and still mark her birthday 17 years later. I wish this woman peace, but I have a hard time with forgiveness.
I’m sorry but you do not go to one of Carhart’s clinics because your child has already died in utero. He is only one of 4 doctors that will perform abortions in the third trimester. That is his stock and trade.
If her life was in danger, as one of the other posters said, you do not have to cross state lines to be induced and deliver your “dead” baby. Her OB/GYN could have induced her and delivered her baby.
It simply does not make any sense to travel to Maryland from NY to deliver your dead baby.
That being said, I do pray for Jennifer’s soul and for her family.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.