Justice for Myrah Guerrero
Donation protected
Should the jailing of a pregnant woman mean the death of her unborn child? In Texas, for Nicole Guerrero, the answer was yes. Now she needs help to find justice for the loss of her daughter, a justice that can ensure this will not happen to other pregnant women.
In 2012, Nicole Guerrero was eight months pregnant when she was locked up on a nonviolent, drug charge in Wichita County, Texas. The jail’s medical care is contracted out to Correctional Healthcare Management. On June 11, the unsupervised vocational nurse left in charge of the dispensary did not bother to examine Nicole. She told Nicole that she was not in labor, despite evidence to the contrary, and had Nicole placed in the “cage” without a water fountain or toilet. Nicole was left alone for hours with only a thin mattress on the floor. Although she repeatedly asked for medical attention throughout the night, LVN LaDonna Anderson did not respond.
The bleeding and pain worsened. Some trustees complained about Nicole making too much noise with her crying and moaning but nobody answered her pleas for help. A detention officer, hearing Nicole scream for help, finally came by as the baby’s head was crowning and assisted in the delivery. But the umbilical cord was wrapped around the infant’s neck and she was purple. Nicole states that when Anderson finally came to her side, she simply patted the baby’s back and waited for the arrival of the EMTs. They were unable to revive the baby. At the hospital, little Myrah Arianna Guerrero was declared dead.
While laws exists that should have prevented this horror, there is too little oversight of county jails. Nicole’s experience is not unique, says Texas Jail Project, a nonprofit that raises questions about conditions and treatment of inmates in 245 Texas county jails.
Nicole’s lawyer Rick Bunch has filed a federal lawsuit against the sheriff (who is responsible for the jail), Wichita County, the healthcare company and LaDonna Anderson. Bunch states that Nicole suffered severe physical and psychological harm and that by depriving her of access to reasonable medical care, the jail violated her rights under the 14th Amendment.
We need public support for this lawsuit and the attorney who is presenting it at great financial sacrifice and with minimal staff. Your donations will go towards supporting the cost of expert witnesses, investigative personnel and filing fees. Any monies remaining after Nicole’s case has been adjudicated will be held in the Myrah Guerrero fund to support other legal actions being brought by indigent Texas women who were neglected during their pregnancies while in jail.
This is your chance to stand up for vulnerable women who are caught up in a criminal justice system that does not recognize the value of their lives and the lives of their children. Please contribute to this GoFundMe to demonstrate that we the people want justice for Nicole Guerrero and her child.
In 2012, Nicole Guerrero was eight months pregnant when she was locked up on a nonviolent, drug charge in Wichita County, Texas. The jail’s medical care is contracted out to Correctional Healthcare Management. On June 11, the unsupervised vocational nurse left in charge of the dispensary did not bother to examine Nicole. She told Nicole that she was not in labor, despite evidence to the contrary, and had Nicole placed in the “cage” without a water fountain or toilet. Nicole was left alone for hours with only a thin mattress on the floor. Although she repeatedly asked for medical attention throughout the night, LVN LaDonna Anderson did not respond.
The bleeding and pain worsened. Some trustees complained about Nicole making too much noise with her crying and moaning but nobody answered her pleas for help. A detention officer, hearing Nicole scream for help, finally came by as the baby’s head was crowning and assisted in the delivery. But the umbilical cord was wrapped around the infant’s neck and she was purple. Nicole states that when Anderson finally came to her side, she simply patted the baby’s back and waited for the arrival of the EMTs. They were unable to revive the baby. At the hospital, little Myrah Arianna Guerrero was declared dead.
While laws exists that should have prevented this horror, there is too little oversight of county jails. Nicole’s experience is not unique, says Texas Jail Project, a nonprofit that raises questions about conditions and treatment of inmates in 245 Texas county jails.
Nicole’s lawyer Rick Bunch has filed a federal lawsuit against the sheriff (who is responsible for the jail), Wichita County, the healthcare company and LaDonna Anderson. Bunch states that Nicole suffered severe physical and psychological harm and that by depriving her of access to reasonable medical care, the jail violated her rights under the 14th Amendment.
We need public support for this lawsuit and the attorney who is presenting it at great financial sacrifice and with minimal staff. Your donations will go towards supporting the cost of expert witnesses, investigative personnel and filing fees. Any monies remaining after Nicole’s case has been adjudicated will be held in the Myrah Guerrero fund to support other legal actions being brought by indigent Texas women who were neglected during their pregnancies while in jail.
This is your chance to stand up for vulnerable women who are caught up in a criminal justice system that does not recognize the value of their lives and the lives of their children. Please contribute to this GoFundMe to demonstrate that we the people want justice for Nicole Guerrero and her child.
Organizer and beneficiary
Flo Samuels
Organizer
Wichita Falls, TX
Rickey Bunch
Beneficiary
