Aug. 4, 1962 - Mrs. Sherri Finkbine took off today for Sweden from Los Angeles. There, she hopes, physicians will end the pregnancy she fears could end in the birth of a deformed baby. Mrs. Finkbine, 30 years old, is 3 months pregnant with a child she believes may have been affected by the tranquilizer drug Thalidomide, which has been blamed for births of many malformed children in Europe. She took the drug early in her pregnancy. Before boarding the plane, Mrs. Finkbine, mother of four, and her husband Robert held a news conference. She said that she planned the abortion in Sweden where “the decision is up to medical men — whereas here, it is up to the courts.” “We want to have it done immediately,” said her husband. “We are in contact now with a Swedish doctor, and we will take one step at a time.” Mrs. Finkbine is the star of a children’s television program called “Romper Room,” in Phoenix, Ariz., her home. She said that she probably would not return to the job. “The station would be in a precarious position if I returned,” she said. Mrs. Finkbine said the Thalidomide had been obtained by her husband while he was in Europe. “I took the pills during the first eight weeks of my pregnancy,” she said, “to control nausea. I should have known better. I foolishly took my husband’s prescription.” She said her main reason for telling newsmen about her dilemma was to help other couples avert similar tragedies.
