A Nebraska woman, Haile McAnally, says she nearly bled to death in her bathroom after taking abortion pills shortly after high school, an experience she now describes as a turning point that pushed her from being a registered Democrat to becoming a pro-life Republican.
McAnally told Fox News Digital that after learning she was pregnant, her boyfriend at the time asked what she planned to do about it and then stopped speaking to her. Scared and alone, she said she turned to pro-choice groups for guidance, recalling the “pink signs” and messaging promising that “the sisterhood will take care of you.”
She described the clinic she went to as “cold,” “dark,” and smelling of rubbing alcohol. She said a doctor she had never met walked her through the process and had her sign consent forms without asking about her medical history. She was given one pill at the clinic and a second to take at home, along with instructions that the experience would feel like “a more intense period” and advice to use a heating pad and drink tea.
“I followed that protocol, went home, took the second pill, and I found myself on the toilet in the bathroom where bleeding occurred, which was exactly what they said. But after about two hours, I was still bleeding out. And I started feeling really weak,” McAnally said.
She said she moved into the bathtub as her condition worsened and her phone was out of reach. “I just laid there and thought that was the moment that everything was over,” she said. She said she lost consciousness and was found by a friend, who called 911. McAnally received a blood transfusion at the hospital. She has called her survival “divine intervention.”
A Political Shift
McAnally said the aftermath of her experience shaped her political views. She said she had identified with the political left because she believed it was more open to difficult conversations, but found that raising questions about complications from abortion pills was discouraged.
“You can’t talk about it. You can’t talk about it because it’s not part of our agenda. It’s not a part of our platform to talk about any complications this may have,” McAnally said she was told.
She said she expected to be condemned when she began sharing her story in pro-life circles, but instead found people willing to listen. “The right was so forgiving and so loving and really embraced my story,” she said.
Taking the Story to Washington
McAnally and other women are traveling to Capitol Hill on Thursday alongside the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America to meet with lawmakers and staff and press for restrictions on mail-order abortion pills.
“Women who’ve suffered the devastating effects of abortion drugs who are clear-eyed about the lies of the Big Abortion industry are the most effective advocates,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Their lives are forever changed, but they’re standing strong and having a powerful impact on Capitol Hill and beyond.”
McAnally said she worries about young women, including college students, who might order the pills online without knowing their own medical history or risk factors. “The same pills I took under direction of medical professionals, they can be shipped anywhere at any time,” she said.
What the Research Shows
Data on the risks of mail-order abortion pills vary widely between studies. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that 0.6% of women who obtained abortion pills by mail experienced medical emergencies requiring hospitalization. A separate study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a group critical of abortion pill access, found that one in 10 women experienced a “serious adverse event.”
The differing figures reflect the broader, often contentious debate over abortion policy that has intensified since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Fox News Digital reported that it reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment.
