This is truly heartbreaking.
NPR’s Morning Edition featured Kate Wells, a reporter who traveled to Detroit to talk to patients and observe procedures. Wells broadcast the audio of an actual abortion.
The audio is terrible. The patient is nervously going through the procedure. You can hear her moaning and crying, and worse, you can hear the vacuum cleaner slowly and loudly ripping apart her baby, limb by leg.
Wells describes the atmosphere as “soothing” due to the dimmed lights and the soothing music. It’s like a “child birth,” but in real life, it is a child being killed. This is a crime scene.
According to reports, the child was 11 weeks old. The baby was approximately the size of a fig and had a discernable heartbeat. The baby was unique in that he or she had fingers and toes, with nail beds starting to form, and even a tongue and tiny nose until each limb was torn off.
Here’s the transcript, with comments from Wells who recorded the procedure live and watched it.
Doctor: I’m just going to get you on the table, and then we’ll do the sedation medicine.
Patient: Okay
Doctor: We’re going to pull this out under you legs
Wells: Most patients remain partially awake during procedures. They receive IV medication for anxiety and pain, the lights are dimmed and soothing music is played. It feels almost like childbirth for them: a medical gown, your naked legs in stirrups and someone next to you saying, “You can do it!”
Doctor’s assistance: Keep breathing
Wells: This is Brandy, she’s one the staffers. Her job is to monitor vitals, but it’s also to hold the patient’s hand and talk her through these. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pregnancy or an abortion; it’s often women who guide other women.
Doctor: This machine will now turn on. It makes a loud sound.
Patient: (nervously?) okay
Doctor’s Aid: Blossom it out, blow it out. Breathe, breathe deeply, and listen to me. It makes it more difficult to breathe if you hold your breath. Keep breathing.
Wells: Brandy tells Brandy over and over, “Just keep breathing.” At one point, the patient said, “I can’t,” when the cramps got painful. Brandy assures her that she can do it. And then it’s over.
Doctor: Please wait one more time
Patient: *audibly moans*
Brandy: Take some deep breaths for me. Take a deep breath.
Doctor: It was done.
Patient: Thank you guys so much.
Brandy: It was possible!
Doctor: You are most welcome!
Patient: *audible sigh* I hope I didn’t do too bad.
Brandy: You did a great job.
Doctor: Congratulations! You did just fine! Yeah!
Brandy: You’re okay. *audible chuckling* You don’t have to tell yourself that you can’t do something.
Patient: Okay.
Doctor: Okay, I’m going to bring the lights up. We’re going to get your underwear on so that we can get you to recovery.
If you’re anything like me, reading that transcript can be heartbreaking. It is very disturbing to think about how NPR shamelessly played the sound a child being killed.
