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After the railroad forces her alcoholic husband to move North, Ruth DeLay–a pregnant, destitute mother of four–desperately seeks an unregulated abortion in order for her family to survive the Great Depression. Ruth is based on a true story.
Summary: During the Great Depression, thousands of women died from unregulated abortions–their death certificates read: “Cause of Death: Sepsis, Kidney Failure” instead of “Cause of Death: Unregulated Abortion.” Ruth Delay was one of these women. Inspired by a true story and Ruth Delay’s actual letters written from 1929-1938, “Ruth” leads us through her desperate journey of: taking “Female Elixirs” made of turpentine, experiencing lead poisoning and sepsis from flushing her uterus with water from old pipes, and enduring an unregulated abortion performed by a Doctor who arrived too late.
Directed by Shannon Jarrell-Ivey (USA)