A Tennessee woman needed an abortion to save her life. She then joined a lawsuit against the state’s ban

After she had to travel out of state to access care, Rachel Fulton joined the Center for Reproductive Rights’ suit, which an appeal has now halted indefinitely It was the worst day of Rachel Fulton’s life. She stood outside her doctor’s office, reeling with the news that her dearly wanted pregnancy needed to end. But her day would, somehow, become even worse: Fulton lives in Tennessee, where abortion is banned except for very narrow threats to the patient’s life. She had to travel hours to another state to receive care from an unfamiliar doctor far from home. Fulton joined a lawsuit, along with five other patients, in 2023 against the state of Tennessee for violating their right to life. The American Medical Association and two doctors also joined the lawsuit because they say they have been prevented from providing the standard of care for their patients. The trial was set to begin on Monday, but a last-minute appeal halted the proceedings indefinitely. The case illustrates the way state-level abortion bans and restrictions are endangering women’s health, even in places where exceptions for patients’ lives are supposed to be in place, said Linda Goldstein, lead attorney