Viral ad depicts doctor calling Texas Gov. Abbott to get permission for abortion 

In an ad that has gone viral, Mothers Against Greg Abbott PAC have released a video which shows that their unborn child has “catastrophic brain abnormality” and is only expected to survive a few hours after birth.

“If she is to survive, she will live only a matter of hours after birth. During that time, she will experience a multitude of seizures and ultimately aspirate on her own bodily fluids. She will suffer,” a “doctor” explains in the video. “A decision will need to be made on termination. I wish I could tell you what to do.”

The distraught mother then appears to ponder her options before the doctor steps in and says, “there is only one person who can make this choice, and that person is Greg.”

The father then thinks out loud, “who the f**k is Greg?” The doctor then proceeds to open a locker showing a picture of Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R). The doctor goes onto make a fake phone call to Abbott.  The doctor makes a brief call, hangs up the phone, turns to the parents and tells them: “Yeah, that’s gonna be a no. Best of luck to you.”

The ad concludes with an extreme close up of the couple and the following statement comes up on the screen: “Whose choice should it be?”

The video gained attention on a national basis and racked up millions of views on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube within days of it being posted. The PAC has said that they are made up of mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts and grandparents “ready to fight” to make changes in Texas.

Abbott’s opponent for the gubernatorial race Beto O’Rourke has said he will “fight for Texas women to have the freedom to decide what is best for their health, family, and future.”

The video also received some criticism. One Twitter user wrote: “Tell me a man wrote this ad without telling me a man wrote it. How can anyone make light of such a gut-wrenching issue? What’s funny about catastrophic birth defects? Is it funny that the state decides the matter? Please rework this ad. Abortion is healthcare, not a joke.”

Chelsea Aldrich, who directed the ad, responded to critics, saying that the clip was based on the “real story about another real mother who chose to terminate.”

Aldrich added, “I have experienced pregnancy loss but did not have to make this choice. My best friend did. She also chose to carry to term. This is not a judgment on any woman’s choice. It’s a referendum on lack of choice.”