Morgan (left) and Desi Ballis, a Christian couple in Hailey, Idaho, had to travel to Utah for a medically necessary abortion in February 2024. Desi’s pregnancy took place during a six-month period when Idaho’s near-total abortion ban was in full effect, even in medical emergencies. (Drew Nash/InvestigateWest)

By Kelsey Turner, InvestigateWest

Desi Ballis didn’t understand why her doctor needed her to go to Utah. 

She lay on an exam table in Boise, her pregnant belly wet with ultrasound gel. At 38, she’d done various genetic tests that confirmed her baby was developing normally. Its small features looked perfect on the screen.

But her baby wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Her 20-week ultrasound in February 2024 showed findings of hydrops fetalis, an often lethal…

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