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Portland abortion clinic braces for influx of out-of-state patients

Anti-abortion rights protestors lined the street outside the Lilith Clinic in Portland on Friday as women's health providers brace for a national paradigm shift.

PORTLAND, Ore. — A handful of protestors lined the street outside the Lilith Clinic in Portland on Friday. It was surgery day at the clinic — meaning when they perform abortion services — and the occasion drew anti-abortion activists.

KGW talked with those at the clinic who want people to know they aren’t going anywhere, despite the national headwinds posed by a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn the longstanding precedent of Roe v. Wade.

RELATED: Report: Draft opinion suggests high court will overturn Roe v. Wade

“Working in abortion care is truly an honor for me, and I will never stop fighting as long as I am able,” said Grayson Dempsey, a spokesperson for the clinic.

Dempsey has worked in abortion care most of her life, and she's been prepared for a ruling like this for a while — but the leak still caught her off guard.

“It was a shock, it was sickening ... I was heartbroken, and I’ve just sort of stayed in that place for the last five days.”

The Lilith Clinic is the only independent abortion clinic in the state. They’re expecting a dramatic increase in out-of-state patients if Roe v. Wade is overturned. 

“I think that once it happens, it is going to happen quickly,” Dempsey said. “We have already been seeing patients from Idaho ever since we opened our doors.”

Idaho is one of the states with a “Trigger Law” in place, which would ban most abortions if the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade.

If that happens, Oregon is expected to see a 250% increase in patients, according to a study from the Guttmacher institute. This is putting pressure on clinics like the Lilith.

RELATED: Oregonians contemplate the increasing likelihood that Roe v. Wade will be overturned

“It would mean that we would need to add extra surgery days we would have to add more staff and clinicians,” Dempsey said.

They would also need increased security.

“When you work in abortion care you’re always afraid," Dempsey continued. "I worked for Dr. George Tiller who was assassinated in Kansas. I know that the threat is really real.”

But despite all the risks, Dempsey said nothing will stop her from providing care.

“I think that the ability to determine when and if to have children is the most central aspect of our ability to thrive in life,” she said.

Those at the Lilith Clinic said the Supreme Court leak caused confusion among patients. They’re trying to share two messages — that they do face a major threat, but abortion will remain legal in Oregon regardless of what the Supreme Court decides.

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