The Red River Women’s Clinic, located in Fargo, has been the only provider in the state for 20 years.
They are now awaiting closure, which will leave many women in the state without care.
Clinic director Tammy Kromennaker told CNN on Saturday that they were still open for now. “The plan is to provide services for as long as we can by law,” Kromenaker said.
North Dakota is one of many states that are enacting book laws aimed at banning abortions now that Rowe v. Wade has been repealed. The law will take effect 30 days after it is certified by the state’s attorney general. The Office of Attorney General Drew Wrigley is still “assessing Dobbs’ opinion in every detail and will carefully consider its impact on abortion laws in North Dakota,” according to a June 24 statement.
Once that happens, the plan for the clinic is to move across state lines to Moorhead, Minnesota, according to Kromenaker.
The space for the new clinic is located right on the other side of the Red River, about 15 minutes from its current location.
Kromennaker said there is still a lot of work to be done, but an ally has launched GoFundMe to help the clinic raise funds for the new site.
More than $ 500,000 has been donated since Saturday afternoon, exceeding their goal. “Beyond humility and inspiration is knowing that there is such a level of support,” Kromenaker said.
Friday was supposed to be a regular day, but when the news came, everything changed for Kromenaker and its staff.
“I saw the news on my computer and one of the staff members screamed, we cried and we got very angry,” Kromenaker said.
Coincidentally, the phone lines began ringing with patients calling to make an appointment.
“I had to get together and arrange these meetings,” Kromenaker said. “It was a surreal, ironic moment.”
Kromenkaker says there has been an influx of patients from South Dakota and Minnesota in the past few months due to closures and staffing problems.
“The decision was devastating, but the fact that this level of support is coming confirms to me what I already knew, that the vast majority of people support abortion,” Kromenaker said.
For states such as Kentucky, Louisiana and South Dakota, trigger bans have already taken effect.
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