DENTON, Texas — For anti-abortion organizations like Loreto House in Denton, Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will have an immediate impact.
“There will be a tidal wave of women seeking help and we are here to step up as an organization in Texas,” Loreto House executive director Randy Bollig said. “It's a momentous time. We will see many more lives saved because more babies will be born.”
The faith-based, pregnancy resource center said many of the women who come to them are “abortion-minded” so the organization serves as a support system, offering resources completely for free.
“Diapers at $30 a box, it's a big chunk out of people’s budget. And today, with inflation like it is, they need us more than ever,” Bollig said.
What Loreto House says it needs from the community is support, especially after someone vandalized their building last month. Graffiti read "forced birth is murder" and "not a clinic.”
“This is not right in our country, that people would want to destroy an institution that's helping women,” Bollig said. “I'm fearful for the anger that is exhibited towards us from people who disagree with who we are.”
Meanwhile, those who support the right to an abortion are disappointed with Friday's ruling.
“Myself and everyone at Whole Woman’s Health are very emotionally devastated today,” founder Amy Hagstrom Miller said. “Today, we had to call hundreds of our patients in Texas and cancel their appointments.”
Whole Woman's Health provides abortion services at its locations in McKinney and Fort Worth.
“Abortion has been restricted even further today in the state of Texas,” Hagstrom Miller said. “As of today, there are no abortions being provided in the state of Texas by Whole Woman’s Health clinics.”
Texans have been traveling to its out-of-state clinics for services, the organization said. And for those who want abortion pills by mail from Whole Woman’s Health, they’ll have to travel, too, Hagstrom Miller said.
“If a Texan leaves the state of Texas and goes to Illinois or Minnesota or New Mexico and has a telemedicine visit and can receive that medication at an address in that state, they will be able to receive medication abortion in that way,” Hagstrom Miller said.
“I can’t really tell you exactly what’s going to happen in the next weeks and months in Texas, but I can tell you that we won’t be able to provide abortion services with a law like this being knocked down at the Supreme Court level,” Hagstrom Miller said.