In 2022, a 28-year-old woman died after traveling to a clinic in North Carolina, and taking mifepristone and misoprostol, pills that can be taken together to end a pregnancy. A Georgia committee that reviews pregnancy-related deaths has determined that Amber Nicole Thurman’s death was “preventable,” and said her death was at least partially caused by delayed treatment at a Georgia hospital.
Instead of performing a dilation and curettage, often known as a D&C, right away, the hospital reportedly waited 20 hours to perform the procedure that likely would’ve prevented the mom’s death, according to a ProPublica investigation.
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Thurman traveled to North Carolina for an abortion because of Georgia's six-week abortion ban.
Thurman learned that she was pregnant around the same time that Georgia’s six-week abortion ban went into effect, according to ProPublica. Nine weeks into her pregnancy, she decided to schedule an abortion procedure in North Carolina. Because of traffic, she was late for her appointment at the busy clinic. Because she was late for her appointment for the procedure, an employee at the clinic offered her mifepristone and misoprostol — commonly referred to as the abortion pill.
The pills are considered safe and complications are rare, per Yale Medicine. Possible — but rare — complications include infection, remaining tissue in the uterus, and ongoing pregnancy.
She was already a mom and loved being a mom.
When Thurman decided to have an abortion, she was already a mom. She loved spending time with her 6-year-old son, often taking him to different attractions like petting zoos and museums, per ProPublica. When she found out she was pregnant, she and her son had just moved into a new apartment. She was working as a medical assistant and had plans to go to nursing school, according to the publication. It wasn’t the right time to have another baby.
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She began experiencing serious symptoms a few days after taking the pills.
When she first took the medication to end her pregnancy, the symptoms Thurman experienced, like cramping, felt normal. But after a few days, it was clear that something was wrong. She began bleeding heavily and experiencing more pain. Eventually, she passed out and threw up blood, prompting her boyfriend to call an ambulance, per ProPublica. At the hospital, it was determined that she had a high white blood cell count and low blood pressure. She later passed out again.
The hospital waited 20 hours to perform a D&C.
The state committee that reviewed Thurman’s death concluded that a D&C likely could’ve saved her life, according to ProPublica. However, the hospital reportedly waited too long — 20 hours — to perform the procedure.
Remaining fetal tissue is a rare complication. Per Mayo Clinic, a D&C can be used to “prevent infection or heavy bleeding by clearing tissues that remain in the uterus after a miscarriage or abortion” and to diagnose and treat “certain uterine conditions” like heavy bleeding.
Thurman died during surgery.
Even once Thurman was diagnosed with “acute severe sepsis,” doctors delayed performing a D&C, according to ProPublica. Instead, they gave her antibiotics, even as her condition continued to worsen. Surgery was initiated 20 hours after she arrived at the hospital, and she died while in surgery. Some have blamed Georgia’s restrictive abortion ban and the 2022 overturning of the US Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade for her death.
According to Mother Jones, doctors in states with restrictive abortion bans might be slower to perform D&Cs due to fear of criminal charges. The vague language surrounding restrictive abortion policies also contributes to this, according to ProPublica. Under Georgia’s laws, providers can also refuse to participate in an abortion procedure, the news outlet reported. The specific reasons why the providers at the hospital chose to delay the procedure in this case remain unclear.
Kamala Harris reacted to the news.
Vice President Kamala Harris, responded to the recent reports about Thurman’s “preventable” death, and blamed former President Donald Trump and the restrictive abortion policies that have resulted from the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“A young mother from Georgia should be alive today, raising her son and pursuing her dream of attending nursing school,” Harris shared on X on September 17. “This is exactly what we feared when Roe v. Wade was struck down. In more than 20 states, Trump Abortion Bans prevent doctors from providing basic medical care.”
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