A 28-year-old mother and immigrant from Honduras, tragically lost her life after a Texas hospital delayed critical medical care during her miscarriage.
Josseli Barnica tragic death happened some three years ago but is just coming out after ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power and works to fill the gaps in knowledge about the consequences of abortion bans, recently published a detailed story about the incident.
Barnica was admitted at HCA Houston Healthcare Northweston Sept. 3, 2021, but doctors reportedly told her they could not intervene until the fetal heartbeat had stopped, fearing legal repercussions under Texas’s strict abortion laws.
After two days of waiting, Barnica developed a fatal infection and died three days following the stillbirth of her fetus.
For many people advocating against abortion bans, the tragic incident highlights the unintended consequences of Texas’s restrictive abortion laws, which have led healthcare providers to hesitate in providing life-saving miscarriage treatments.
As Barnica lay in agony, her husband recalled her words about the medical team’s stance:
“They had to wait until there was no heartbeat,” she told him.
This 40-hour wait, medical experts assert, violated accepted standards of care for treating miscarriages, particularly those where infection risks are high.
In Texas, the “heartbeat law” mandates that healthcare providers confirm the absence of a fetal heartbeat before performing any abortion-related procedures, regardless of a patient’s risk.
Barnica’s case, reviewed by over a dozen OB-GYN and maternal-fetal specialists at ProPublica’s request, has been universally condemned as preventable by those experts, including Dr. Susan Mann, a patient safety specialist at Harvard.
Many equate Barnica’s death to a tragic and eerily similar case in Ireland that sparked national outrage and legal reform.
Yet, Texas lawmakers have not signaled intentions to amend the existing laws, which continue to leave healthcare providers in a moral and professional bind.
Under current Texas law, physicians face up to 99 years in prison for performing an abortion in non-emergency cases, forcing them to risk criminal charges or let patients suffer.
Despite minor amendments introduced to permit exceptions for life-threatening complications, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other conservative leaders have not offered more comprehensive guidance to clarify emergency definitions.
ProPublica’s recent investigative work reveals that Barnica is one of at least two Texas women who lost their lives following delayed miscarriage interventions.
Barnica’s husband currently faces life as a single father to their daughter. He said he remains unaware of the political and legal turmoil surrounding his wife’s care.
He and his family keep Barnica’s memory alive with photos around the home and by honoring the joy she brought to their lives.
The growing toll of Texas’s abortion laws on women and families seeking basic medical care is exemplified in this incident.
