In December, the Texas Supreme Court denied Kate Cox an emergency abortion for her nonviable and dangerous pregnancy. This week, Cox addressed the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and spoke with Jezebel about her current situation.
During the DNC at the United Center, Cox, a mother of two, shared her harrowing experience with the abortion ban. Despite doctors’ warnings that her pregnancy was not viable and would endanger future pregnancies without abortion, the Texas Supreme Court refused to grant her an emergency abortion. Now five months pregnant with her third child, Cox spoke on behalf of Texas during the convention’s roll call.
“I’m Kate Cox, and I love being a mom. My husband and I always wanted a third child, but doctors told us the baby wouldn’t survive and that carrying the pregnancy would risk future pregnancies,” Cox said. “Because of former President Trump’s abortion bans, I had to leave my home. There’s nothing pro-family or pro-life about denying women access to abortion care and forcing them to suffer.”
Cox received enthusiastic support from the crowd as she announced that her third child might be born just in time for Vice President Harris’ inauguration in January.
In her conversation with Jezebel, Cox described her nonviable pregnancy as “the most heartbreaking experience of my life.” She criticized the Texas court’s decision, which deemed her case not urgent enough for an abortion under the ban’s vague medical emergency exception. With Texas doctors facing severe penalties for misjudging emergencies, many are reluctant to provide necessary care.
Despite the challenges, Cox remains hopeful. “I’m pregnant today because I accessed abortion care, and now I have the chance to bring a baby home from the hospital,” she said.
Cox spoke to Jezebel from the “Ride to Decide” tour bus, part of the Free & Just campaign aimed at fighting reproductive rights restrictions. The bus, decorated with slogans like “Contraception NOT Control” and “Stop Abortion Bans,” has been traveling across the Midwest, starting in Milwaukee during the Republican National Convention in July and concluding in Chicago.
Since her experience, Cox has been working with Free & Just to connect with others who have faced similar challenges. “Hearing others share their stories gives me hope,” Cox said. “Many people tell me, ‘Your story is my story.’ Our experiences are not isolated but are part of a larger issue caused by abortion bans.”
In May, the Texas Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit from over 20 patients who claimed the state’s abortion ban jeopardized their lives due to its ambiguous emergency exception. The court’s dismissal suggested that allowing such lawsuits could lead to an increase in non-emergency abortions. One plaintiff commented, “I felt that Texas revealed its stance with Kate’s case.”
Cox, motivated by her faith in Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to challenge abortion bans, and driven by her concerns about worsening abortion access, stated, “This is not just a woman’s issue; it’s everybody’s issue.”
