Marleen Goldstein worked in a hospital that performed abortions. After 30 years, she’s come forward with her story.
According to Goldstein:
“My husband was a resident at a hospital and I just got ‘the job of my dreams’ at a nearby Oakland hospital. I was very much a believer in the abortion issue and now I felt I was going to be part of it.
“I got hired as a charge nurse at this clinic that did late term abortions. I spent about 30 days on the day shift getting familiar with everything. I would witness and assist the doctor in the actual procedure, injection of drugs to the fetus, the seaweed, etc. On the day shift I really never saw the actual start of the contractions or the termination process. I was uncomfortable, but I really thought to myself, this was something new and I needed to get more experience.”
In these abortions, the woman was dilated with laminaria, which are sticks made of seaweed that are placed in the woman’s cervix. These sticks slowly absorb fluid and dilate the cervix; they can be kept in overnight or longer. Drugs were injected into the baby to kill him or her on the first day the procedure. Late-term abortions are often performed in a similar way today.
Goldstein was insulated from some of the horror of these abortion procedures. She did not actually witness the dead baby or the pain of the women going through contractions.
Goldstein would later be promoted to a position where she would deal with the actual aborted babies. Other clinic workers have talked about how they were eased into the more difficult parts of their jobs in a similar way. They were started off doing things that were less emotionally difficult, such as record-keeping, receptionist duties or taking blood pressure, then gradually given more responsibilities until they were handling body parts or assisting in late-term abortions. By that time, they are “in too deep” and committed to their jobs. It is a way that some abortion clinics have been known to manipulate their workers.
Whether or not this was the case with Goldstein, she would have a life-changing experience working with one late-term abortion:
“One evening a young girl was having a very difficult time. I was there with the doctor. I knew even though the doctor wrote this patient was 15 weeks, she was close to 30 weeks. This happened quite a bit, but no one ever said anything.”
Other abortion providers, such as Carol Everett and Kathy Sparks, have spoken about their clinics doing abortions further along than was legally allowed, and trying to hide that fact. Kathy Sparks’ clinic disposed of illegally aborted late term abortions down the toilet.
Goldstein says:
“When she delivered this tiny baby (it looked full term to me) she was actually alive and crying. The doctor said to me, ‘Put it in the room and close the door. Do not enter til the morning shift.’ I immediately took the crying baby and wrapped it up and laid it in a room. I then immediately started calling hospitals around (against the doctor’s wishes) to find someone that would take it. None around would take it cause they said it was not viable. I spent many hours trying. I just wanted to leave this place, but I knew I could not walk out and leave other patients without a charge nurse. Til this day I hear this crying infant in my head.”
Despite her desperate efforts to get medical help for the child, the baby girl died. Goldstein quit her job, no longer an abortion supporter.
She says:
“I wish others that promote abortion, especially late term would experience what I did. The next day, I terminated my employment immediately and landed a job in a pediatric unit at another hospital.”
This experience would change Goldstein’s life in another way when, several years later, she experienced a difficult pregnancy of her own.
“After a few years I got pregnant and went into labor at 20 weeks. The doctors wanted me to terminate immediately due to my health. They stated that this baby would not be normal and I should try again. I refused and was in the hospital, then was at home on complete bedrest. I was not allowed to be alone… I finally spiked a very high fever and was rushed into the hospital. I was quite early still… He was supposed to be born in November, I had him in July – a 2 pound 10 ounce little boy. This was 30 years ago. I was told that he was quite small and it would be touch and go to see what would happen. They also told me, ‘Do not expect too much.’
He was in the ISU for preemies for some time. He fought all the way and was perfectly normal. Today my son is a healthy young man. He is working on his 2nd Masters (MBA) and has a full time job. He is aware that he is lucky to be alive, cause if I did not have the experience I did early on, he would not be here today.”
Goldstein showed great courage in fighting for that little girl’s life over 30 years ago. She also showed great courage fighting for her own son’s life. And, finally, she has shown great courage in sharing her story. As more clinic workers leave the abortion business and courageously step forward to tell their stories, more and more people who are uninformed about abortion are hearing the truth. We can hope that those who have been ambivalent or uncertain about abortion will be swayed when they learn what abortion is really like, coming straight from “the horse’s mouth”: those who experienced performing these abortions first hand.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
