After the success of the short New York trip, Marilyn returned to Amagansett to enjoy the rest of the summer and rest. Unfortunately, her joy at being pregnant was short-lived, when on the morning of August 1, 1957, she collapsed in the garden whilst tending to her plants. Miller was in the house at the time and an ambulance was called.
Amagansett local Edward Damiecki was with the ambulance crew when they arrived at the Miller home, and afterwards he told his brother John that when they tried to put Marilyn on the stretcher, she spat in the driver’s face. This act was one of anguish and despair; having been bombarded with stories of ‘women’s problems’ by her foster family for many years, Marilyn was acutely aware that something was very wrong.
By the time the Millers and the doctor arrived at the hospital, Marilyn was covered from head to toe in a blanket, and in great pain. The townspeople of Amagansett gathered in the grocery store, and it was not long before they heard the news they dreaded; Marilyn had lost the baby.
It had been discovered that the foetus was growing in the fallopian tube, rather than the uterus, and in order to save the life of the mother, it was removed by an emergency operation. Marilyn’s doctor, Hilliard Dubrow, announced that she had been five or six weeks pregnant but it was too early to detect if the lost baby was a boy or a girl. He could see no further difficulties should she decide to try again.
In the hospital, Marilyn was devastated and in great pain, after needing a blood transfusion during the operation. On August 2, Miller released a statement that read in part, “Marilyn wants as many [children] as she can get. I feel the same way,” and then on August 10, she finally left the hospital, walking slowly and wearing the same pink dress she had worn during her appearance at the Time-Life Building. It was a distressing experience; footage is gut-wrenching to watch, and shows Marilyn in full make-up, smiling and making comments such as “I’m feeling wonderful” to waiting reporters. When asked what her future plans were, she answered, “I definitely still plan to have a large family. I’m going to rest, rest and more rest.” God only knows how quickly the smile fell from her face as the ambulance door finally closed.
- Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential by Michelle Morgan
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