BREAKING: Court protects Catholic healthcare clinic’s care for pregnant women in need Federal district court judge permanently blocks Colorado’s ban on abortion pill reversal

WASHINGTON – A federal court in Colorado today protected a Catholic healthcare clinic’s ability to help women reverse the effects of the first abortion pill. In Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, the clinic challenged a Colorado law that made it illegal for doctors and nurses to help women who take the first abortion pill but decide to continue their pregnancies. A federal court temporarily blocked the law in 2023, and today the court made that protection permanent. Now Bella Health & Wellness can continue serving the many women who come to them for help to continue their pregnancies. 

“Colorado tried to deprive pregnant women of the life-affirming care that is best for them and their babies,” said Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett, co-founders of Bella Health and Wellness. “We are overjoyed that the court has recognized our constitutional right to continue offering this support to the many women who come to our clinic seeking help.”   

“Colorado should never have tried to stop Bella from helping pregnant women who want to choose life for their babies,” said Rebekah Ricketts, senior counsel at Becket. “This ruling ensures that pregnant women in Colorado will not be denied this compassionate care or be forced to have abortions against their will.”  

Founded by Catholic mother and daughter nurse practitioners Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett, Bella offers dignified, life-affirming healthcare to men, women, and children. Like healthcare clinics across the nation, Bella offers progesterone—a naturally occurring hormone that is essential to the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy—to women at risk of miscarriage. Studies also show that progesterone can help women who have taken the first abortion pill but decide they want to continue their pregnancies. Consistent with its religious mission to uphold the dignity of every life, Bella offers progesterone to these women who seek help to keep their unborn children after taking the first abortion pill.  

In 2023, Colorado passed a law that targets pro-life clinics like Bella Health and Wellness by making it unprofessional conduct to offer women progesterone when seeking to reverse the effects of the first abortion pill. Bella asked a federal court to block the law and protect its ability to help pregnant women in need of life-saving care. In October 2023, Judge Daniel Domenico temporarily stopped Colorado’s abortion pill reversal ban. Under the court’s protection, Bella has successfully helped numerous women continue their pregnancies, resulting in the birth of at least 16 babies since the case began. Judge Domenico today made his ruling permanent, allowing Bella to continue offering compassionate care to women in need. 

Colorado has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Tenth Circuit. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Ryan Colby at [email protected] or 202-349-7219.