A Las Vegas woman says her child survived after medical providers told her twice that the pregnancy had ended and no heartbeat existed.
Stacy Norris consented to an abortion after doctors told her the pregnancy had ended, only to later learn it had continued and her baby was alive, KTNV reported. She has since spoken publicly, describing the abortion procedure she underwent, the medication she was prescribed, and the moment she learned her baby was still alive, while warning that her ordeal may be difficult for those who have experienced pregnancy loss.
Norris filed a complaint in Clark County alleging that her medical providers misdiagnosed a viable pregnancy and subjected her to an abortion procedure despite evidence the pregnancy was continuing. The lawsuit claims ultrasounds and blood tests showed early signs of pregnancy and rising hormone levels, but providers failed to properly monitor, compare, or interpret those results over time.
Doctors told Norris during multiple visits that no fetal heartbeat existed and classified the pregnancy as a missed abortion, according to the complaint. Based on those representations, providers presented her with options that included waiting, taking medication, or undergoing a dilation and curettage procedure, which Norris agreed to after being told the pregnancy had ended.
The filing alleges that Dr. Sheldon Paul, a doctor at the private clinic Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada, performed the operation without confirming non-viability and without obtaining adequate diagnostic confirmation beforehand. The complaint further claims that after the procedure, providers continued to treat the pregnancy as nonviable and later prescribed Cytotec, a drug intended to induce abortion.
Norris alleges that before taking the medication, she sought care at a hospital, where testing revealed hormone levels consistent with an ongoing pregnancy, and an ultrasound confirmed a fetal heartbeat. The complaint states that this discovery demonstrated the pregnancy had remained viable despite the earlier procedure.
“If this happened to me, it’s happening to women all the time. I want them held accountable,” Norris said, as reported by KTNV.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of professional negligence, failure to meet the applicable standard of care, and misrepresentation, arguing that providers ignored or mishandled diagnostic information and failed to adequately inform Norris before performing and continuing abortion-related treatment. Norris claims the defendants’ actions caused severe emotional distress and placed her pregnancy at risk.
The complaint seeks damages related to emotional harm, medical negligence, and other losses, while asserting that the defendants’ conduct fell below accepted medical standards. The defendants denied wrongdoing, and the case later settled shortly after the opening statements.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)
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