Vice President Kamala Harris has condemned the death of a young Georgia mother, Amber Thurman, who died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat complications from an abortion pill. Harris attributed Thurman’s death to the actions of former President Donald Trump, who appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned nationwide abortion rights. Thurman’s death occurred just two weeks after Georgia enacted a strict abortion ban in 2022. Harris emphasized the consequences of Trump’s actions on women’s reproductive health, stating that women are being denied care, resulting in deaths like Thurman’s.
Harris reiterated her commitment to restoring Roe v. Wade protections and ensuring access to abortion if elected president. She highlighted Thurman’s case during an interview with journalists, indicating that she intends to use the issue of abortion access to motivate women voters leading up to the Election Day. The federal government has reported instances of pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms, especially in states with abortion bans like Texas and Missouri. Women have experienced delays in care, leading to severe complications such as infections or reproductive system damage.
Thurman’s death is the first publicly reported instance of a woman dying from delayed care due to complications from an abortion pill. The Trump campaign shifted blame to the hospital for failing to provide life-saving treatment to Thurman. The campaign emphasized that Georgia’s abortion law includes exceptions for cases like Thurman’s, questioning why the doctors did not act swiftly to save her life. Investigations into Thurman’s case are ongoing, and the hospital where she sought help has not been cited for failing to provide care to a pregnant patient in the past two years.
Despite anti-abortion advocates rebuffing claims that abortion bans impact women’s health, Democrats and abortion rights advocates seized on Thurman’s case as evidence of the dangers of restrictive abortion laws. Mini Timmaraju, president for Reproductive Freedom for All, emphasized the detrimental impact of abortion bans on women’s health and lives. The incident has reignited the debate on abortion access in the United States, with both sides presenting opposing views on the implications of restrictive laws. ProPublica has indicated that another report on an abortion-related death will be released in the coming days, further fueling the discussion on reproductive rights and healthcare.
