18-year-old Lexi dies from back-alley abortion by Planned Parenthood
On March 11, 2025, I attended the legislative hearing for Colorado House Bill HB25-1252 providing testimony in favor of requiring the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to regulate Colorado abortion clinics which perform 2nd and/or 3rd trimester abortions. The basic issue is that all other ambulatory surgical clinics in Colorado must meet strict standards of sterilization, adequate staffing, emergency preparedness, staff certifications, facility cleanliness, and annual health inspections. Such clinics should require informed consent so women know what are the risks of 2nd /3rd trimester abortions.
Currently, abortion clinics are exempt from these basic medical regulations, and this bill would have required the CDPHE to create rules for abortion clinics to insure women’s safety if they enter the clinic. One of every ten second-trimester surgical abortions results in complications, with 1.7% life-threatening. This is far higher than procedures done in regulated ambulatory surgical centers. Even dentist offices and restaurants face periodic inspections and the number of deaths at those locations is nowhere near as high as for 2nd /3rd trimester abortion clinics. If we continue to permit these abortion clinics to be unregulated, we will continue to see the kinds of outcomes described below.
Regulation would include assuring there are emergency management plans, transfer procedures, emergency and hemorrhage carts immediately available, appropriately trained staff, effective sterilization protocols, and facilities that are maintained and clean.
In my testimony I pointed out how out-of-state women are flocking to Colorado for abortions. They have no idea how risky they are here. In fact, a Nebraska couple filed a lawsuit against Dr. Warren Hern. Hern performed an abortion on Jennifer DeBuhr, near the end of her second trimester, resulting in complications, including a skull fragment lodged in her uterus. She was not informed of the risks, leading to the removal of her uterus and the loss of her ability to have children (tinyurl.com/yw8dhsbw).
On Feb 6, 2025 at 11:12 AM, Planned Parenthood at 825 South Shields street in Ft Collins called 911 and asked for an ambulance to take 18-year-old Lexi, to the hospital. Lexi was taken to Poudre Valley Hospital (PVH) in Fort Collins, Colorado. Her grandparents were called to the hospital and they shared the following information with their friend, Doctor Keri Kasun several days later. Dr Kasun gave testimony at the committee hearing on HB 25-1252 on March 11, 2025 (Colorado House Health and Human Services committee). That means the following information is public record which you can listen to at tinyurl.com/4bn6f9zf (go to time-stamp 12:09 to 12:11 and 12:16 to 12:19).
Dr Kasun said, “Here’s why I’m testifying today, to honor Lexi, the young 18-year-old woman who died on February 6th after being transported to the hospital from Fort Collins Planned Parenthood. I only learned of her death last Wednesday when a family member reached out to me.”
Lexi’s grandparents were called to the hospital on February 6th and they shared what happened. After multiple doses of Epi and seven liters of blood, Lexi’s heart rate and blood pressure dropped and she died. The complication of abortion was amniotic fluid embolism (AFE – meaning amniotic fluid had gotten into Lexi’s bloodstream). As a result, she developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC—which is a clotting-failure disorder leading to massive bleeding). She did not come to Planned Parenthood of Ft Collins with this. The grandparents learned that Lexi was transferred too late. She didn’t receive the urgency of care that would be required in order to have a chance to survive this condition. Instead, she got the ‘silent siren’ treatment.’
Dr Kasun said, “The abortion industry wants to legitimize itself as a form of women’s health care, but they don’t want regulations or accountability… I would consider that ‘back-alley,’ and it elicits back-alley behaviors such as the silent siren”. The silent siren means the ambulance was asked not to turn on their sirens or flashing lights while coming to or leaving from Planned Parenthood.
Despite my testimony, and that of Dr Kasun, as well as 18 others favoring HB25-1252, calling for regulation and accountability for 2nd and 3rd trimester abortion-clinics, all Democrats on the committee voted to kill the bill by a tally of 8 to 4. Exempting abortion clinics from medical standards which other ambulatory medical clinics must follow prioritizes abortion ideology over women’s safety. This horrific action by the Legislators suggests two “calls-for-action”. First, contact those who voted to kill this Bill, HB25-1252, expressing your disapproval – their names and Legislative contact information are as follows.
Kyle Brown 303-866-2920, email – kyle.brown.house@coleg.gov
Regina English 303-866-3069, email – regina.english.house@coleg.gov
Lisa Feret 303-866-2950, email – lisa.feret.house@coleg.gov
Lindsay Gilchrist 303-866-2959, email – lindsay.gilchrist.house@coleg.gov
Eliza Hamrick 303-866-3706, email – eliza.hamrick.house@coleg.gov
Karen McCormick 303-866-2780, email – karen.mccormick.house@coleg.gov
Gretchin Rydin 303-866-2953, email – gretchen.rydin.house@coleg.gov
Katie Stewart 303-866-2914, email – katie.stewart.house@coleg.gov
Sheila Lieder 303-866-2939, email – sheila.lieder.house@coleg.gov
Secondly, over 700 whistleblowers have left the abortion industry, revealing a well-documented history of unhygienic and unsafe practices (tinyurl.com/2hsy7sur, tinyurl.com/2e9mt4du, tinyurl.com/yckfp5sr). Because of that and based on Dr Kasun’s testimony about Lexi and Ft Collins PP, please sign the petition to defund Planned Parenthood here: https://lc.org/lcemail/elc2502-pet-dpp
To ask questions or give feedback, go to my email at lloydbenes50@gmail.com
Lloyd Benes, retired engineer, resident of Loveland
