Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old woman from Texas, died in December 2024 from complications of preeclampsia, a serious condition marked by high blood pressure during pregnancy that can be life-threatening for both mother and child. Her family has filed a lawsuit in Bexar County District Court, alleging that Texas officials and medical professionals failed to provide her with an abortion, which they claim could have saved her life. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, names Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, several of Walker’s doctors, and others, accusing them of "deliberate indifference, discrimination, and medical mistreatment" that led to her death. Preeclampsia, which affects about 5% of pregnancies, can cause severe complications like seizures, organ failure, and even death. Walker’s family argues that Paxton and others imposed a strict ban on abortion, effectively denying her access to a life-saving procedure. They claim that despite her deteriorating health and repeated requests for an abortion, medical staff refused to consider it, citing the state's near-total abortion ban. The law, which went into effect in 2022, only allows abortions if the mother’s life is in immediate danger. Paxton, a Republican running for the Senate, has been a vocal advocate for the law and has sued out-of-state providers who send abortion pills to Texas. The lawsuit highlights the alleged "culture of fear" around abortion in the state, which, according to the family's attorneys, prevented healthcare providers from offering Walker the care she needed. Walker had a history of chronic health issues, including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. She had previously experienced preeclampsia during a twin pregnancy, which resulted in the stillbirth of her twins. Despite her improved health in 2024, her condition worsened rapidly, leading to multiple hospitalizations and seizures. Medical records show that doctors diagnosed her with non-epileptic "functional seizures," but her family says she was not offered an abortion despite her repeated requests. According to the lawsuit, Walker asked for an abortion on two separate occasions in October 2024, but hospital staff allegedly refused, claiming the pregnancy was not a threat to her life. The Texas Medical Board stated that doctors are not required to wait until a mother’s life is in immediate danger to provide necessary care, which could include abortion. However, the family’s attorneys argue that doctors are too afraid to document such requests in medical records due to potential legal repercussions. Walker ultimately died on December 27, 2024, after being discharged from the hospital despite her worsening condition. An autopsy confirmed that she died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia, with the fetus at 20 weeks gestation. The family’s lawsuit is set to expire in the coming days, and they have denied that the timing is politically motivated.