Sarah Parvini

Irish abortion debate reflects growing church-state tensions

Ruth Bowie was in the throes of grief when she found out she would never know her unborn child. At the 12-week mark, a pregnancy scan showed the baby had anencephaly, a fatal condition in which a portion of the brain and skull never form.

Bowie, 34, a pediatric nurse, knew the implications of the birth defect even before the doctor explained. But the life-changing news didn't stop there.

"The doctors said we will continue to look after you, or else you can choose to travel," she recalled.