# Has anyone ever survived an abortion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006 "2006-01-14T22:50:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/21 "2006-01-15T13:36:01Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > No, they are still a near drowning. They are near drownings until they’re in a body bag. What they are quickly placed in the body bag, THEN resuscitated? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/22 "2006-01-15T14:31:30Z")
During the congressional meetings regarding late term, partial birth abortions, at least two nurses testified that they had been present when a fetus “slipped out” still alive. It’s theoretically possible, but they were certainly not presenting unbiased testimony. I can’t find any sites on it right now except for some ugly anti-choice sites, so I won’t link to them. Google **right to a dead baby** if you want to search yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/23 "2006-01-15T19:53:31Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > I read of a case, in some christian literature. The weird part is the woman’s name (who survived the abortion attempt) was Salina! (I trust you get it) I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/24 "2006-01-15T20:03:16Z")
In one method of abortion, a strong saline solution is injected into the amniotic sac. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/25 "2006-01-15T20:21:16Z")
Ah, I see. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/26 "2006-01-15T20:51:16Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > No, they are still a near drowning. They are near drownings until they’re in a body bag. Depends on the time frame, no? If someone would go on to die (for good) if not resuscitated, then before said resusitation begins that person could be said to have drowned. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/27 "2006-01-15T21:03:45Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > No, they are still a near drowning. They are near drownings until they’re in a body bag. Given Colibri and Walloon’s posts, it seems in order to be counted the person has to die. And in some cases, people may die and then be resuscitated - So i’d count that as an actual drowning. It doesn’t say in the definition death has to be _permanent_. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/28 "2006-01-15T21:16:11Z")
My dad’s a murder-by-gunshot survivor. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/29 "2006-01-15T21:17:57Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > My dad’s a murder-by-gunshot survivor. Did he die and have to be resuscitated? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/30 "2006-01-15T21:51:19Z")
> [@Happy Lendervedder](#): > > My dad’s a murder-by-gunshot survivor. No, he survived a murder attempt. It’s like saying someone came back from the dead; it is an oxymoron, because death is by definition, the permanent cessation of of life. If you come back, you weren’t dead. _I hope I haven’t inadvertently summoned you-know-who…_ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/31 "2006-01-15T21:59:40Z")
Perhaps he was only mostly dead. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/32 "2006-01-15T23:36:05Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > During the congressional meetings regarding late term, partial birth abortions, at least two nurses testified that they had been present when a fetus “slipped out” still alive. It’s theoretically possible, but they were certainly not presenting unbiased testimony. I can’t find any sites on it right now except for some ugly anti-choice sites, so I won’t link to them. Google **right to a dead baby** if you want to search yourself. I remember having a speaker in high school describing how in late term abortions the fetuses frequently came out alive and had to be “drowned in a bucket”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/33 "2006-01-15T23:47:08Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I remember having a speaker in high school describing how in late term abortions the fetuses frequently came out alive and had to be “drowned in a bucket”. :rolleyes: Guess folks aren’t afraid to make political hay in GQ…FWIW, have a gander at googling Raymond Showery. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/34 "2006-01-16T00:26:40Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > No, he survived a murder attempt. It’s like saying someone came back from the dead; it is an oxymoron, because death is by definition, the permanent cessation of of life. If you come back, you weren’t dead. Yeah, I was pretty much kidding. An unfunny joke, if you will (I know, I know, oxymoron…). My dad did survive a gunshot wound to the head, though. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/35 "2006-01-16T00:44:05Z")
> [@metj](#): > > [Here](http://members.tripod.com/~joseromia/survivors.html) is a website that lists some. I had only heard of the first one previously - I think she does public speaking around the country against abortion. Yup, Gianna Jessen does a lot of public speaking. I’m reading a book about her now, actually. Her mother was 7.5 months pregnant when she went in for a saline abortion, and instead of delivering a dead fetus as expected, Gianna was born alive and rushed to a nearby hospital. Sadly, she has cerebral palsy as a result of the attempted abortion. She clearly prefers that to being dead, though. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/36 "2006-01-16T01:21:55Z")
> [@](#): > > No, what I mean is that the term electrocution is defined as “death by electricity”. If you get shocked, but don’t die, you weren’t electrocuted. It’s a pet peeve of mine, you see. Perhaps the loophole here is the word death. Haven’t some people qualified as clinically dead but brought back? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/37 "2006-01-16T01:35:21Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Perhaps the loophole here is the word death. Haven’t some people qualified as clinically dead but brought back? If some one is revived after clinical death, the only conclusion is, the means of detecting clinical death is imperfect. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/38 "2006-01-16T02:05:41Z")
> [@beagledave](#): > > Guess folks aren’t afraid to make political hay in GQ…FWIW, have a gander at googling Raymond Showery. I did and NOT to make this political, but I only got very hardcore anti-choice sites. There was no entry for him on Wiki or anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/39 "2006-01-16T02:10:37Z")
> [@](#): > > If some one is revived after clinical death, the only conclusion is, the means of detecting clinical death is imperfect. I can agree with that, but dopers are arguing over the symantics of abortions and electrocution means death so that means people can’t ‘survive’ it, but using their symantics death itself is not final and people can survive that - at least for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006/40 "2006-01-16T02:13:57Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > If some one is revived after clinical death, the only conclusion is, the means of detecting clinical death is imperfect. Either that, or the body retains the biological wherewithal to be resuscitated. Why must it be that they didn’t die? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-survived-an-abortion/340006.md?page=3)