Even appeals to the governor of Arkansas couldn't get care for Emily Waldorf

Published May 27, 2026 6:00AM (EDT)

Abortion rights protestors rally on July 4, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Hannah Beier/Getty Images)

This article originally appeared on ProPublica .

On the morning of Sept. 16, 2024, Emily Waldorf’s preschooler found her curled on the bathroom floor. Waldorf had felt a strange pressure during a shower, like a balloon bulging into her vagina, and was now bleeding. “I can be your pillow, mommy,” her daughter said, nuzzling into her neck.

Waldorf was 17 weeks pregnant.…