Paul Tuns:
The August 27 Globe and Mail reported that Rheanna Laderoute, 19, died of sepsis after taking the abortion pill.
Described by her older sister, Kassandra Costabile, as empathetic with a quiet grace and a sense of humour, Laderoute died at the Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont., in February 2022. She was admitted on Feb. 14, about two weeks after the teen had taken Mifegymiso, the abortion pill prescribed by a facility in Brampton – presumably the Brampton Women’s Clinic which distributes Mifegymiso — about an hour’s drive away. She began to bleed heavily and experienced abdominal pain and following the advice on the pamphlet the clinic gave to her, she went to the emergency department following those complications. Laderoute died ten days later of an infection with signs of septic shock.
In a story titled, “The system failed her,” the Globe and Mail painted the issue as one of medical malfeasance, reporting, “Medical records show that leading up to her death, nurses were pleading for her to be transferred to the intensive care unit.” Reporter Wendy Glauser said the death “appears as if it could have been prevented.”
Laderoute visited Southlake emergency department at least three times between Feb. 14 and her death: “Her condition continued to worsen, but doctors failed to recognize the seriousness of her symptoms.” When she was finally admitted to the ICU, it was too late to do anything.
There have been two investigations by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario which the Globe reports “revealed several red flags (that) were missed, and necessary tests and treatments weren’t provided in a timely manner.” The paper reports that one of her treating doctors, Marko Duic, “had been cautioned previously by the college for poor documentation and inappropriate care” and the Globe and Mail previously reported he was the subject of allegations of discriminatory hiring practices and improper billing (which allegations he denies).
Based on medical records and the decisions of the College, “The Globe has reconstructed the medical decisions that preceded Ms. Laderoute’s death – a series of events that raise questions about the professional conduct of two of the physicians responsible for her care, and whether there has been adequate accountability within the health care system.”
An ultrasound from Laderoute’s first ER visit did not show any retained fetal or placental remains. She was referred to Southlake’s early pregnancy loss clinic for more testing. When the clinic attempted to contact Laderoute, there was no follow-up when the phone number provided was found not to be in service.
The next week, Laderoute was taken to ER by ambulance. Records show her abdominal pain was getting “significantly” worse and reported symptoms consistent with infection including, “Discharge, foul-smelling, using 2-3 pads per day, nausea” and ranking her pain as 10 out of 10. Dr. Duic ordered tests which the College later found were insufficient to investigate the condition he diagnosed Laderoute with—a peritonitic abdomen, which includes swelling around the abdominal organs. She was discharged after six hours with a prescription for oral antibiotics to treat a suspected urinary tract infection and Percocet, a painkiller.
A day after being discharged, Laderoute returned to the hospital by ambulance. Her heart rate was dangerously high, her blood pressure was low, and she was vomiting blood. She continued to display these and other signs of sepsis. The Globe reported, “Based on guidelines from the Society of Critical Care, patients with probable sepsis should receive broad-spectrum IV antibiotics within an hour” and that “Every hour of delay of antibiotics reduces a patient’s chance of survival by more than seven per cent.” It took eight hours for Laderoute to receive the necessary antibiotics. It was another nine hours before she was given Piperacillin and tazobactam, another regiment of antibiotics for severe sepsis. It took seven hours for the internal medicine physician to visit Laderoute after the request that he be consulted was sent and nearly a full day before a gynecologist examined her.
The nurses on schedule made repeated attempts to have Laderoute admitted to the ICU and to be examined by internal medicine. One nurse noted that the ICU doctor on call, Albert Yun-Pai Chang, responded to the request for admittance to the ICU with “nope” and “that’s tough.” Dr. Chang continued to refuse after other physicians said it was critical Laderoute be admitted to the ICU. Laderoute was finally admitted after she was resuscitated when her heart stopped. She was put on a ventilator and was unresponsive.
Once in the ICU, two doctors performed surgery to remove “several litres” of pus but could not find the source of the infection. In the next few hours, she experienced organ breakdown and two more cardiac arrests and was pronounced dead at 7:55 am on Feb. 24. The coroner found peritonitis and signs of septic shock and “a bacterial infection was likely.”
The Globe reported that an infectious disease expert said it was “possible” Laderoute’s infection stemmed from her chemical abortion, but that it might be unrelated. Dr. Lynora Saxinger said there are reports of strep infections after abortions and births in which the patients’ uteruses appeared normal.
Dr. Chang was given an “in-person caution” by the College for his refusal to admit Laderoute to the ICU. The College found Dr. Duic committed professional misconduct and suspended his license for three months.
Laderoute’s sister, Costabile, said that because COVID restrictions did not allow family to be with her in the hospital, she had no one to advocate on her behalf.
The Globe reported, “Systemic failings also contributed to Ms. Laderoute’s death” as “Health workers and advocates said the delays, communication breakdowns and difficulty accessing an ICU bed are clear signs of an under-resourced health system.” The paper also indicated that the gender-bias of male doctors may have played a role, reporting a British Medical Journal article showed female emergency room physicians are 50 per cent more likely to “request an obstetrician-gynecologist consult in early pregnancy loss cases.” In not one of her three ER visits, did Laderoute have a pelvic exam.
The Globe reported Laderoute’s sister Costabile “hopes that raising awareness of what happened to her sister can prevent others from suffering the way her family has.”
Pete Baklinski, communications director for Campaign Life Coalition, wrote in the Western Standard that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario “supports abortion and has advocated for increased availability of the abortion pill” and “chose not to focus on the role the abortion pill played in Rheanna’s death.” Baklinski said, “The College, along with the Globe article, ignored the elephant in the room — the killer abortion pill.”
Baklinski said that it is likely two people died due to the abortion pill: Laderoute’s unborn baby and Laderoute. “The abortion pill is not safe for anyone,” Baklinski wrote, “It is certainly not safe for the baby — it is designed to kill new life. And, it is not safe for women either, as too many have unsuspectingly found out the hard way.” A study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center in the United States reported that nearly 11 per cent of women who take the abortion pill experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event.
Baklinski wrote, “While the medical system may have mismanaged Rheanna’s severe infection, should the doctors and staff be wholly blamed for her death?” or “Should some of the blame be placed on what caused Rheanna’s deadly infection in the first place … the abortion pill,” which “explicitly lists ‘sepsis’ and ‘multi-organ failure’ as serious risks, exactly what Rheanna experienced?”
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