The family of 37-year-old Tierra Walker says she died of preeclampsia in 2024 after being denied a "life-saving abortion."
But pro-life medical leaders argue the tragedy stems from medical failure, not the state's ban.
"There's a lot of fear that gets passed around about abortion laws that are meant to protect women and preborn children," says Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs.
When women tragically lose their lives, she says some people blame pro-life laws.
"I think one of the biggest things to do is for people to be informed, to understand that there's not a single state in the country that prevents doctors like me from intervening in order to save a woman's life when she's facing a life-threatening complication," Dr. Francis tells AFN.
Walker's family claims she repeatedly asked hospital staff to terminate her 20-week pregnancy as her health deteriorated, but she was turned away out of fear of Texas' near-total ban.
They reportedly allege that Ken Paxton — a Republican who is currently running for Senate — and another defendant, Stephen Brint Carlton, executive director of the Texas Medical Board, stripped Walker of her right to life by imposing "a merciless blanket prohibition" on abortion, while the doctors allegedly failed to offer life-saving medical treatment.
Dr. Francis emphasizes that the case highlights a broader need to reform women's healthcare and focus on the root causes of maternal mortality, rather than viewing abortion as the solution.
She says overturning Roe vs. Wade was a necessary step in the fight for life, but it in no means won the war against abortion.
"It was kind of the close of the first chapter," Dr. Francis submits. "Now we move on to the rest of this battle for life of changing hearts and minds and also changing policies so that we have better policies in our country and our states that support life, that support mothers, that support babies."
Legal proceedings in Walker's case are ongoing in Bexar County as state officials and medical centers named in the suit have yet to file formal responses.
