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Pro-choice protestors rally at Indiana Statehouse

The demonstrators stood for hours in 90-degree heat to deliver their message.

INDIANAPOLIS — The story of a 10-year-old coming to Indiana for an abortion drove pro-choice protesters to the steps of the Indiana Statehouse Wednesday.

Many said they were fearful about the future of legal abortion in Indiana, no matter the circumstances surrounding a pregnancy.

Amid a sea of signs carried by protesters, one seemed to sum up the fears of many in the crowd. It read, “A 10-year-old child was denied an abortion. But it’s about saving kids, right?” 

The sign referenced a recent situation where a pregnant 10-year-old from Ohio was reportedly denied an abortion there, just days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. 

So the child had to travel across state lines to Indiana to get one, after a child abuse doctor in Ohio reached out to doctors here. 

RELATED: Hundreds of health care professionals rally in support of abortion rights in Indiana

“That’s so heartbreaking to think that it forces a 10-year-old child to give birth to another child. How do they expect someone who isn’t even the age of consent, how can they force them to have a child? That’s what I really don’t understand,” said 19-year-old Chloe May, who came to the protest. 

“Again, this is not a political issue. Abortion care is health care, and we need to keep it in that arena,” said Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an Indianapolis OB/GYN who helped organize a pro-choice rally for medical professionals last week.

This week, Bernard met with lawmakers and said she plans on testifying during the special session, when legislators are deciding the future of abortion in Indiana. 

“It’s important to tell our patients’ stories as much as we can,” said Bernard.

RELATED: Indiana attorney general hopeful for abortion restriction ahead of special session

Bernard wouldn’t address published reports that named her as the doctor who provided care to the 10-year-old from Ohio. Bernard did confirm that doctors here are seeing more patients from states where abortion has already been banned or severely restricted. 

“We’ve seen an influx in travel, particularly in states that have passed abortion bans like Ohio and Kentucky, and we will continue to do see them until we are not able to anymore,” she said. 

RELATED: Poll: 57% of Americans disapprove of SCOTUS abortion decision

Since the story about the 10-year-old from Ohio was first reported, several media outlets have also picked it up, enough that those gathered at Wednesday’s protest said it was one of the reasons they felt so passionate about being there. They stood for hours in 90-degree temperatures to make sure Indiana legislators heard them loud and clear. 

“We will not stand down," May said. "They messed with the wrong generation. We will stand up for what’s right and we will stand up for our rights.”

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