Having a new baby is usually a time of celebration. For a woman named Mackenna Greene, her new baby is a reminder of the life-saving medication she took after regretting her chemical abortion. Sharing her story with The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Greene, a resident of Colorado, recalled how she had discovered her pregnancy in December 2023. She’d had a previous pregnancy that had been filled with complications, so an anxious Greene, filled with medical and financial concerns, researched abortion pills online. “The reason for, you know, originally wanting an abortion, to sum it up in one word, I would say that would be fear: fear of failing my 2 1/2-year-old that I had, dealing with those emotions; fear of failing professionally, financially — just afraid of so much of the unknown, considering it was an unplanned pregnancy,” Greene told National Catholic Register. She was able to find a company that filled a prescription for her and mailed it right to her door. Despite some misgivings, she took the first pill, which contains mismifepristone, a pill that blocks the chemical progesterone, which promotes the growth of the baby. The mismifepristone is meant to kill the baby by stopping his or her development, while a second pill, misoprostol, is meant to expel the baby from the womb.

Within 24 hours, Greene began to regret her decision. “Immediately, upon taking it, and in the days leading up, I knew that that was not the right decision for me. I continued to convince myself that it was, that it was the right decision for me, my family,” she said. She researched if a chemical abortion could be reversed. Her search led her to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN), through which she was connected to pro-life nurse practitioner, Chelsea Mynyk, Mynyk scheduled an appointment with Greene and explained the Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) process, putting Greene on a strict progesterone regimen. Mynyk continued to follow up with Greene, and in the summer, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. According to the ADF, APR has a 64%-68% success rate. Greene stated that she shared her story to give other women hope and let them know they have options. APR has reportedly helped save 6,000 babies according to the APRN.

The feel-good story, however, is not without its consequences. Colorado is one of the most pro-abortion states in the US, with no limits on abortion. In April 2023, the state enacted a statute that labeled recommending APR “unprofessional conduct” and threatened medical professionals with discipline. Supporters call APR “unproven science,” and stated it is dangerous for professionals to advise patients on it. When an individual found that Mynyk was helping Greene reverse her abortion, a complaint was filed. The Colorado Board of Nursing opened an investigation against Mynyk. ADF is now representing her as she files a lawsuit against the law, calling it a violation of her First Amendment rights. Her case is joining a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Bella Health and Wellness, an independent Catholic medical center that challenged the Colorado law in 2023. Greene stated the law is unfair, particularly since progesterone is prescribed for women who want to avoid a miscarriage. “They will ship the chemical abortion kit to you,” she said. “You just do a small questionnaire online. It is very unfortunate that it is easier to obtain the chemical-abortion protocol than it is to reverse those effects when you’re trying to support a healthy pregnancy.”