Mater Hospital’s Abortion Ban Leaves Brisbane Couple Devastated After Fetal Diagnosis
A Brisbane couple’s desperate search for compassionate care turned into a harrowing ordeal after a prenatal test revealed a serious genetic abnormality in their eagerly awaited pregnancy, compounded by the Mater hospital’s policy against terminations.
A hopeful pregnancy, achieved after miscarriage and unsuccessful IVF treatments, quickly descended into anguish for Elisa and Brent when a 12-week scan revealed a potentially life-limiting condition. Less than 30 minutes after learning they were expecting a healthy baby girl, the couple received news that their child was at high risk of a serious genetic abnormality. Further testing confirmed the diagnosis, but the Catholic-run Mater hospital informed them it did not offer terminations, even in cases of severe fetal medical conditions.
Elisa, a 42-year-old scientist, described falling in love with her baby and the crushing blow of the news. “I have to say we did fall in love with our little baby girl and we were… really thinking that it’s finally happening for us,” she said.
The couple, who met and fell in love in their 40s, were left reeling. While Elisa was a private outpatient, the hospital’s policies against terminations – except to save the mother’s life – apply across all Mater hospitals, including the large, taxpayer-funded Mater Mothers’ Hospital at South Brisbane.
A private obstetrician offered a controversial “workaround”: medication to stop the baby’s heartbeat, allowing for a dilation and curettage (surgical removal of the pregnancy) at the Mater once there were no signs of life. This attempt failed, leaving Elisa “disturbed and in distress.”
“Imagine you have this pregnancy you’ve been hoping for so dearly and deeply and you want this pregnancy but you’re being asked to take a pill,” Elisa recounted. “I was asked to do the termination on my own, left to my own devices, sitting on the couch with my husband and going through hell.”
As Elisa approached the 14-week mark, the deadline for surgical termination loomed, intensifying the couple’s desperation. Elisa felt abandoned by the Mater’s policies. She did not want to endure an induction and labor, stating, “Under no circumstances did I want to go through this process. I was already so emotionally broken.”
Ultimately, another obstetrician secured a surgical termination at a private clinic south of Brisbane, costing the couple around $1,500. Elisa and Brent believe the Mater’s policies exacerbated their grief. “We chose the Mater because we wanted to have continuous care, but we were abandoned instead,” they said. “I assumed that a world-class hospital would be offering world-class pregnancy services and sometimes in a pregnancy things don’t go to plan. No matter how much you want this pregnancy and how careful you are and whatever you do, sometimes there is a termination for medical reasons necessary.”
Largest Maternity Hospital Faces Scrutiny Over Policies
According to its latest annual report, Mater Mothers is “Australia’s largest maternity services provider,” delivering one in five Queensland babies across its hospitals in Brisbane, Townsville, Mackay, and Rockhampton.
ABC News sought an interview with the Mater regarding its Catholic-based ethos and bans on abortion and contraceptive procedures, but the hospital declined. In a statement, a spokesperson said, “Mater respects every woman’s right to follow her conscience in making medical decisions, including requests for an elective termination. We understand this is a difficult decision often made under distressing circumstances.” The Mater added that it would “ensure patients can access other services to discuss treatment options.”
However, an experienced obstetrician, speaking anonymously from a different Brisbane hospital, described the Mater’s abortion ban as a “long-standing disgrace.” The specialist explained that patients seeking terminations are often told, “we can’t help you” or “see your GP.” They warned that delays in accessing care can force women into more dangerous mid-trimester labor inductions. “If a woman waits or is delayed until 16 weeks to proceed to termination, it is unsafe to proceed surgically under anaesthesia and they have no option but to proceed to a medical termination where mid-trimester labour is induced and she has to deliver the baby vaginally whilst completely aware of what is going on,” they said.
The Mater does not collect data on how many patients are referred elsewhere for terminations or contraceptive procedures. Queensland Health also declined to disclose the amount of taxpayer funding the Mater receives, citing commercial confidentiality.
Access to Abortion Remains a Challenge in Queensland
Abortion was decriminalized in Queensland in 2018 and is legal on request until 22 weeks’ gestation. After that point, approval from two medical practitioners is required. The Termination of Pregnancy Act 2018 mandates that healthcare practitioners with conscientious objections must refer patients to other providers.
Despite this, access remains uneven. Dr. Erica Millar, a research fellow at La Trobe University, argues that the Mater Mothers’ Hospital, as a tertiary-level center, should provide comprehensive gynecological care. “As a level six, or tertiary-level hospital, it should be providing the most comprehensive and complex gynaecological care available and it’s clearly not doing this,” she said. She questioned whether public funds should support hospitals refusing to offer certain gynecological services.
Liliana Montague, CEO of Children by Choice, a pregnancy support service, confirmed that it is “not uncommon” for women to contact them after being denied terminations at the Mater. She emphasized the need for improved access and compassionate care. “It’s about making the journey as risk-free and compassionate as possible and we’d like to see the changes to those barriers… removed as quickly as possible,” Ms. Montague said.
Elisa and Brent feel they were denied evidence-based and compassionate care. “Having a religious doctrine taking away this service that I as a Queenslander am eligible for, a termination for medical reasons, or a termination for any reasons, was absolutely devastating,” Elisa said.
The couple held a memorial service in March, naming their baby Hope. Elisa is now calling for the Mater to reconsider its policies. “I want to make sure no other woman, no other parents have to go through the same torture that we’ve been through,” she said. “We’ve been through hell.”
