Red River Women’s Clinic, located in Fargo, has been the only provider in the state for 20 years.
Now they are waiting for the closure, which will leave many women in the state unattended.
The director of the clinic, Tammi Kromenaker, told CNN on Saturday that they are still open, for now. “The plan is to provide service whenever we can legally,” Kromenaker said.
North Dakota is one of many states that have books activating laws aimed at banning abortion now that Roe v. Wade has been canceled. The law will go into effect 30 days after it is certified by the state attorney general. Attorney General Drew Wrigley’s office is still “evaluating Dobbs’ opinion in full detail and will carefully consider its impact on North Dakota’s abortion laws,” he said. a June 24 statement.
Once that happens, the clinic’s plan is to move across state borders to Moorhead, Minnesota, according to Kromenaker.
The space of the new clinic is located on the other side of the Red River, about 15 minutes from its current location.
Kromenaker said there is still a lot of work to be done, but an ally started a GoFundMe to help the clinic raise funds for the new location.
As of Saturday afternoon, more than $ 500,000 has been donated, exceeding its target. “It’s beyond humiliating and encouraging to know that there is this level of support,” Kromenaker said.
Friday was supposed to be a normal day, but when the news came out everything changed for Kromenaker and his staff.
“I saw the news on my computer and one of the staff members shouted, we cried and got very angry,” Kromenaker said.
Coincidentally, the phone lines started ringing and patients called to make appointments.
“I had to get up and set those appointments,” Kromenaker said. “It was an ironic and surreal moment.”
Kromenaker says in recent months they have already had an influx of patients from South Dakota and Minnesota due to facility closures and staffing issues.
“The decision was devastating, but seeing that level of support arrive reaffirms to me what I already knew, that the vast majority of people support abortions,” Kromenaker said.
For states like Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota, activation bans have already gone into effect.