Texas activist sues state over abortion ban
After Amanda Zurawski’s water broke 18 weeks into her pregnancy in August 2022, doctors told her there were only two ways that the pregnancy she and her husband desperately wanted would end: miscarriage or infection. Texas only allows abortion when the mother’s life is at risk, so termination was not an option.
She sat with that knowledge for three days and ended up in a hospital bed in Austin, recovering from a near-fatal case of septic shock.
Losing the baby, who was going to be named Willow, was Zurawski’s “lowest moment,” but her determination to prevent what happened to her from happening again led to her proudest: standing outside of the Texas Supreme Court alongside fellow plaintiffs in Zurawski v. Texas, the first patient-led case to challenge a state over abortion bans in postRoe America.
A total of 20 women and two OBGYNs have become plaintiffs since the March 2023 filing of the lawsuit, which demands the state issue clearer guidance around medical exceptions. A decision is pending.
“(Amanda) being willing to step up and say, ‘I want to make a change’ ... it gives us all strength,” fellow plaintiff
Taylor Edwards said.
Similar lawsuits have followed in Idaho, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
While working full time, Zurawski, 36, has continued to bring attention to cases where the narrow abortion ban exceptions leave doctors unable to care for patients facing severe and, in some cases, life-threatening pregnancy complications.
In June, Texas lawmakers provided legal cover for doctors handling cases exactly like hers.
“Amanda is changing the way people think about abortion,” said Molly Duane, a lawyer for the Center for Reproductive Rights who represents Zurawski and the other plaintiffs. “Sharing her personal trauma publicly took a lot of strength, and it has inspired other women do the same.”
Zurawski is the USA TODAY Woman of the Year honoree for Texas. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Question: Who did you pave the way for?
Answer: That’s a very humbling question. It’s pretty wild to think about, but I think I did pave the way for everyone else who joined my lawsuit, all of my fellow plaintiffs. And there’s a lot of action being taken in other states, too, so folks who’ve had similar experiences, whether they’re just volunteering for abortion access groups, or whether they’re donating their time or money, or whether they’re filing their own lawsuits or taking their own legal action, I think somebody had to be the first person to do that.
Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself ?
I don’t know that I have a guiding principle or a mantra, but I do try to remind myself every day that life is a journey and to enjoy the ride. I spent so much of my life making plans and mapping out exactly what it was going to look like and then getting disappointed if it didn’t go as I thought it would. And what I’ve learned – really, in the last year and a half – is that this is a beautiful ride. I have no idea what’s around the corner. But I tell myself to enjoy it. Life is short, and you can find beauty and joy and happiness in anything. I think you just have to choose joy.
Who do you look up to?
I’m very fortunate to have a lot of excellent role models in my life and within my family, but I definitely look up to my sister, who’s six years older than me. She handles adversity with such grace and composure and a positive attitude and it just astounds me. She is unflappable and it’s really remarkable – when she’s faced with a challenge, she takes it head-on, and she just does it with such elegance.