A WOMAN who is terminally ill with cancer says she was forced to travel to Britain for an abortion earlier this year despite her life-threatening illness.
Michelle Harte (39), Ardamine, Co Wexford, said doctors at Cork University Hospital – where she was being treated for cancer – advised her to terminate the pregnancy because of the risks to her health.
However, she says an ethics forum at the hospital decided against authorising an abortion for her in Ireland on the basis that her life was not under “immediate threat”.
Ms Harte said she waited for about two weeks for a decision from the ethics forum, while difficulties in arranging travel contributed to a further three-week delay.
“I couldn’t believe the decision [to refuse an abortion in Ireland] when it came,” she said.
“Apparently, my life wasn’t at immediate risk. It just seemed absolutely ridiculous.”
Ms Harte, a former nurse from London, said her condition worsened significantly during this time and she was not able to receive cancer treatment because she was pregnant.
Abortion is legal in Ireland in circumstances where the life of the mother is at risk.
However, last week the European Court of Human Rights found that Ireland has failed to give full effect to this constitutional right.
Ms Harte travelled to Britain for an abortion during the summer and said she had to be helped on to the aircraft due a deterioration in her condition.
“She was very unwell,” said her partner, Neil Doolan (28) from Wexford. “She was very stressed out, physically very weak, nauseous and vomiting.”
Shortly after her return, fresh scans showed that the cancer had become much more aggressive and spread to her brain. Ms Harte, a mother of one who has been living in Ireland for five years, said she was very frustrated at what happened to her and wanted to ensure other vulnerable women did not have to experience what she went through. “The delay in having an abortion could well have made my condition worse. It certainly didn’t help.
“I would hate to see others going through this. It’s so tough when you’re not well to feel like you’re being judged for something which should be a simple procedure.”
She was keen to point out that she received excellent care from individual doctors and consultants at Cork University Hospital, but she felt the legal obstacles were unjust and unfair.
In a statement yesterday, the Health Service Executive said Cork University Hospital’s ethics forum “meets within 48 hours for emergency meetings and carefully considers any case brought before it in light of the Irish Constitution and amendments to the Constitution”.
A spokeswoman said the committee was made up of both medical and non-medical representatives.
Last week the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland had breached the human rights of a woman with cancer who had to travel abroad to get an abortion.
In that case, the woman – known as “C” – had a rare form of cancer and feared it would relapse when she became unintentionally pregnant.
However, the woman said she was unable to find a doctor willing to make a determination as to whether her life would be at risk if she continued to term.
The court ruled that neither medical nor litigation options constituted “effective or accessible procedures” for the woman to establish a lawful abortion. The law, which provides serious criminal sanctions for women or doctors involved in illegal abortions, had a “chilling effect” on medical practitioners.
On foot of the ruling, the Government said it would study the findings. Minister for Health Mary Harney accepted that legislation would be needed to implement the court’s decision but indicated this was unlikely to happen before the next election.
