Sherri Chessen, also known as Sherri Finkbine, a television host who lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, during the 1960s, sought an abortion after learning that the sedative thalidomide caused fetal deformities. At the time, Arizona law only allowed abortions if the mother’s life was at risk. Chessen anonymously contacted The Arizona Republic, a local newspaper, and a reporter, Julian DeVries, told Chessen’s story in an article titled, “Pill May Cost Woman Her Baby.” Chessen’s identity later became public when the Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where Chessen was to have the abortion, filed a suit to get the state’s approval to authorize the abortion. After her name became public, the hospital refused to perform the abortion, leading Chessen to travel to Sweden for the procedure. Chessen’s case led to widespread discussion about abortion access in the United States, brought the issue of reproductive rights into the national spotlight, and eventually influenced legal reforms, including the US Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade (1973).