South Bend clinic emblematic of abortion debate around the country

A young woman exited the back door of the clinic clutching a fistful of crumpled tissues in one hand and some paperwork in the other as she made her way to the parking lot.

A trio of volunteers in bright pink vests labeled Pro-Choice Clinic Escort walked beside her until the patient reached her SUV. As she drove off the property, the escorts each deployed a rainbow-hued umbrella, hoisting them over their shoulders to form a colorful barrier between the vehicle and several protesters out front. Some were praying, others bore signs declaring “Abortion takes a human life” and “It’s a child, not a choice.”

With reproductive rights of limbo: A federal judge in May granted a preliminary injunction allowing Whole Woman’s Health of South Bend to perform medication abortions even as the clinic remains unlicensed by the Indiana State Department of Health, pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the clinic’s owner. The state has appealed the temporary opening to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

‘I felt so ashamed’

“No one should have to go through this,” said 26-year-old Sarah Knowlton, a clinic escort who trains other volunteers. “We shield the patients. A lot of patients don’t understand, they think they’re just going to a doctor’s appointment. I didn’t understand when I was a patient.”

Read more: https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/south-bend-clinic-emblematic-of-abortion-debate-around-the-country/article_8ae757e1-355b-5fa6-8dea-b56c37207297.html