VP Kamala Harris will return to Atlanta on Friday. The Presidential nominee will address the deaths of two Black women who passed following Georgia’s strict abortion bans.
Earlier this week, ProPublica’s report revealed that Amber Thurman and Candi Miller’s deaths were impacted by Georgia’s strict abortion ban and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
Harris’ team highlights that as Vice President she led the fight for reproductive freedom in and is putting the national spotlight on the consequences of Trump’s extreme abortion bans.
Thurman was nine weeks pregnant with twins when she took an abortion pill in 2022. However, the abortion did not complete and she developed sepsis. After going to Piedmont Henry Hospital in Henry County, Georgia, ProPublica reported that doctors were unsure if they could perform the abortion due to Georgia’s strict abortion ban.
Doctors who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to 10 years in prison.
Thurman died after waiting 20 hours for doctors to operate.
Another Black woman, Candi Miller, endured a similar fate. The mother of three dealt with health issues that made it difficult for her to have another child. Following an unexpected pregnancy, Miller, who suffered from lupus, diabetes and hypertension, ordered abortion pills.
However, Miller did not expel all the fetal tissue and would need a dilation and curettage procedure to clear it from her uterus and stave off sepsis, a grave and painful infection. Georgia’s abortion law made it illegal to perform the procedure that could have saved Miller’s life, according to ProPublica.
Harris will seek to shed more light on both deaths and how Republican policies have caused unnecessary deaths.
Sen. Sonya Halpern (D–Atlanta) shared thoughts on women dying due to Georgia’s strict abortion ban.
“I am heartbroken to learn about the tragic and entirely preventable death of Amber Thurman, who lost her life due to delayed emergency medical care under Georgia’s abortion ban. This devastating loss serves as a stark reminder of how dangerous this law is—putting our healthcare providers in direct conflict with the Hippocratic Oath they swore to uphold, all while they fear the risk of prosecution. As a result, the trust that people have in their doctors erodes, and the access to essential care becomes dangerously limited,” Halpern said.
Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, offered the following statement to ADW:
“Since it would violate federal and state patient privacy laws for our office or any party to access the report that ProPublica allegedly possesses, we cannot confirm or comment on the circumstances surrounding Ms. Thurman’s tragic passing. Every life is precious, including that of Amber Nicole Thurman, which is why we support life at all stages in Georgia,” said Douglas. “While some may seek to use her passing to spread dangerous misinformation that fosters confusion, fear, and risks patients’ lives, we remain committed to protecting and defending the lives of the most vulnerable among us.”