All Trimester Abortion Clinic May Come To North Jersey Next Year

NORTH JERSEY — A New Jersey-based doctor and nurse practitioner are raising funds to open an "all trimester" abortion practice in North Jersey next year.

Dr. Kristyn Brandi said Friday that Luminosas Wellness Collective hopes to open in Hudson County by next summer.

New Jersey is one of only nine states that allows abortions past the second trimester. But because of the lack of trained providers, most care stops before that, she said.

Patients who find out about a medical issue or other issue late in their pregnancy may not be able to get an abortion in their state, Brandi noted.

"This is a legitimate form of health care, and there are people right now leaving our state to get it," she said, noting that patients often go to Maryland or Washington D.C. for the care, as those are the closest places with late abortion options.

Likewise, she said, patients leave places with stricter abortion policies, like Florida or Georgia, to come to New Jersey, she said.

"Luminosas is a nonprofit, community-driven clinic providing inclusive, trauma-informed, and holistic reproductive and sexual health services," says its website. "Though the clinic is not yet open, we are building a future where healthcare is radically reimagined as a space of liberation, healing, and empowerment, free from profit-driven constraints and shaped by the voices of diverse communities."

Brandi said each situation is different, and patients will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Mixed Reactions

The plans were first reported in a story in NJ.com last week.

Brandi said that since the story ran, she has been getting mixed reactions, including hate mail. "For every bad comment, there are a lot of people supporting us," she said.

The company has been posting updates on its Instagram account.

"So excited to learn more about this project!" posted one follower.

But another wrote, "You have no shame."

So far, the practice has raised $20,000 from more than 100 private donors and from a GoFundMe, she said.

Find out more on Instagram or at www.luminosas.org.