After the Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the Roe v. Wade, who legalized abortion in the United States, the only abortion clinic that was still in North Dakota, was about to cross state lines to go to Minnesota to continue her practice.
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CNN reports that the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo has been the only clinic to open to the state in 20 years, but has been waiting to close since Friday’s ruling.
“The plan is to provide services for as long as legally possible,” clinic director Tammy Kromenker told the media.
North Dakota is among 13 states that have passed a law that automatically bans abortion if the Supreme Court reconsiders its interpretation of the Constitution. The law is expected to enter into force 30 days after it is adopted by the state attorney general.
So the clinic chose to relocate roughly 15 minutes from its current location, but in neighboring Minnesota.
While there is still a lot of work to be done, GoFundMe has already been set up to raise funds for the new site. More than $500,000 had been donated as of Saturday afternoon, exceeding the initial target.
While Friday was supposed to be a normal day at the clinic, the late morning decision changed everything for Ms. Kromenacker’s team.
“I saw the news on my computer and a staff member screamed, we cried and got very angry,” she said.
That’s when the phones started ringing for patients who were calling to set up an appointment as soon as possible.
“I had to pull myself together and make these appointments,” the manager said. “It was a surreal and ironic moment.”
The clinic had already seen an influx of patients from South Dakota and Minnesota due to facility closures and staffing issues.
“the decision [de déménager] It was devastating, but seeing this level of support reaffirms what I already knew, which is that the vast majority of people are in favor of abortion,” Krumnecker said.