In a post which has sparked considerable debate online today, a woman from the United States has shared her experience of late-term abortion.
Desperately dismissing theories put forth by presidential candidate Donald Trump, Alyson Draper insists the experience is not something women enter into lightly.
“I had to have a late term abortion. It was the worst moment in my life. What made it even worse was the State of Utah had made it illegal," Alyson wrote in a post which has been shared more than 104,000 times since Wednesday night.
“I had one dead twin. The other had severe Spina Bifida, and would only have lived with life support, in great pain, for a few days.”
“I lay on the hospital floor, bawling hysterically, for twelve hours, waiting for an ethics committee of the health care corporation to decide my case justified what had to be done,” Alyson revealed in the moving post.
Recalling the events leading up to the abortion, she wrote: "My husband and I consulted our LDS Bishop, who assured me I needed to do what I had to do, that it was even within LDS guidelines to do so. He reminded me I had six kids at home who needed their mother to live.”
“The abortion was terrible. It was done very gently, by Caesarean section, leaving the babies in their amniotic sacs. The living baby passed very quickly,” Alyson told her Facebook followers.
Alyson revealed that in the aftermath of the abortion, she developed PTSD and fears her doctor was even affected by the tragedy, writing: “I think it even affected my dear physician, as he had never had to end a pregnancy before.”
Adamant that State intervention is unnecessary, Alyson argues: “No woman should have to have the state have a say in the most painful decision she will ever make.”
“Nobody is tearing babies apart in late term. They are always humanely done, only in situations where there is a non-viable or severely defective fetus and/or the mother's health is at risk.”
The post, which has received 93,000 like so far, has been inundated with comments from social media users keen to support Alyson, but not everyone agrees with her stance on the matter.
“First off this is not an actual abortion,” wrote one Facebook user. “ If they were both delivered cesarean, than that was a delivery. Third trimester abortions are barbaric and disgusting! This is in no way a valid comparison! “
Responding to this, another wrote: “You are truly blessed that you've clearly never been in this position and can sit high enough to pass judgement with no personal experience.”
Alyson finished her post by urging others to consider the implications of their vote, writing: “Please don't vote for a candidate or a party that would make these decisions for the women who will die or be forced to carry unviable fetuses to term.“
“This is a decision that is so painful and so terrible. Only the parents of the baby and a physician should be involved in the decision.”
Alyson’s post comes as debate over the 8th amendment continues to rage in Ireland.
