CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, a "trigger ban" went into effect in several different states that meant outlawing abortion.
Tennessee is one where the procedure is illegal as well as 10 others.
So when a local woman learned her baby would not survive birth, she had to head out of state.
Allie Phillips says she's used to sharing parts of her life on social media, but she never thought a video post about her pregnancy could be used for change.
"I've reached every mom that's ever had to go through something similar, and I've received over at least 500 messages of so many different stories and it's heartbreaking," Phillips said.
Phillips and her husband planned on growing their family and were excited when they got pregnant.
Naming the baby Miley, they already purchased a crib, clothes and all the baby necessities, but a routine scan shattered their dreams.
"She won't hit viability. She's non-viable outside the womb, she's not compatible with life," Phillips said.
Doctors told the family the baby stopped growing at 15 weeks.
"There was a lot more wrong than just low fluid, no fluid, and her kidneys. We found out that she has a very rare brain defect called Semilobar holoprosencephaly, HPE for short."
She says doctors told her the unborn child also has a heart defect and other abnormalities and could die any day now.
Phillips is the only thing keeping her baby alive, and the longer she carries her to term, she says it becomes more dangerous for the both of them.
"We had to make the decision to terminate and since we can't terminate here, we have to look elsewhere."
Abortions are illegal in Tennessee, there are no exceptions when it comes to the life of the mother or the viability of the fetus.
That means Phillips is catching a flight to New York City.
She says doesn't want to feel forced to deliver a stillborn and holds on to good memories of her unborn child.
"I'm leaving today pregnant. I'm coming back not, and that's a really hard reality."
She knows when she returns the love she has for her child will continue.
Phillips is hoping sharing her story can help change the law by at least adding exceptions but in the end, she says she wants a law where women have the right to choose.
"If I can’t get politicians to change their minds, then at least I can get the minds of the citizens that vote for them to change," said Phillips.
Tennessee Democratic lawmakers are introducing measures to include exceptions while many Republican argue life starts at conception and they must protect the life of the unborn.
Phillips flies to New York City this week. She says donations from strangers helped cover the cost of the procedure. She says whatever money is left over she will donate to an organization supporting women in similar situations.
