Jessia Mann of Flushing, Mich., is close to giving birth to her third child. Giving birth is exciting, but instead of feeling that way, the pregnant mom said that she's feeling the opposite.
“I am very close to giving birth and instead of being excited, I’m terrified because my hospital turned me away, and I’ve had to go find a new doctor and hospital with little time to get them up speed on my complicated medical history and health risks,” she said in a statement to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), as reported by Yahoo Parenting.
According to the Washington Post, Mann has been diagnosed a decade ago with two pilocytic astrocytomas, benign brain tumors that put her life in danger.
Mann and her husband, James Mann, were both excited when she got pregnant for the third time. However, due to the risks that her tumors pose, her doctor said that she should undergo tubal ligation when she gives birth via a C-section, so that she won't get pregnant again.
However, Genesys Regional Medical Center, a Catholic hospital to which the doctor made the request, wouldn't allow it.
Genesys denied the request under religious grounds. In a statement provided to Yahoo, Genesys said “As a Catholic healthcare system, we follow the ethical and religious directives of the Church. Beyond that, we can’t comment on this patient’s particular case.”
Mann's first request was denied, with the hospital telling her that she could give birth there and the tubal somewhere else. Having the procedure done in another hospital means that she'd have to also look for another doctor, which adds to the stress she's facing.
Worse, Genesys responded three months after her doctor filed the request.
Receiving the response, the shocked mother then contacted the ACLU, which requested the hospital to grant her permission to undergo the procedure, as the hospital has granted exceptions before. The request was also denied, so the ACLU filed a formal complaint against Genesys.
“We’re taking the fight to the state agency that governs the hospital because it’s their job to make sure women like Jessica get the care they need,” said Brooke Tucker, attorney at the ACLU. “Religious directives have no place in hospitals, especially because they end up harming the very women they should be serving.”
Mann's husband, James, explained via Refinery 29 how he felt in regards to the life-threatening situation that his wife is facing.
“My children and I need Jessica. She’s the anchor in our family. Without her, we just wouldn’t be complete.”
