Amber Thurman, 28, died in August 2022 in a Georgia hospital after a fatal delay in receiving care. The mother of a baby boy, she had developed rare complications from taking the abortion pill. Because of her state’s new restrictive abortion laws, she was unable to receive life-saving medical intervention in time.
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A symptomatic case of new legislation
The drama comes shortly after Georgia passed a law making medical procedures like dilation and curettage (D&C) illegal except in very specific and unclear cases, making it difficult for doctors to interpret them. Because of this legal ambiguity, Amber had to wait 17 hours for the hospital to perform the necessary procedure to remove the remaining fetal tissue. That wait proved fatal.
Thurman initially sought an abortion in North Carolina, where laws are less strict, but the influx of women from neighboring states like hers made the wait too long. Back in Georgia, she began bleeding heavily and was admitted to the hospital, where she eventually died of acute sepsis.
An avoidable death, according to a medical commission
The death was officially declared “preventable” by a Georgia medical board, the first time the country has done so since the U.S. began reviewing abortion laws after Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022. The landmark ruling had previously protected abortion rights at the federal level, but now each state is free to legislate in its own way. The consequences for women like Amber are dire.
An alarming situation for women’s rights
The laws that led to her tragic death have sparked outrage among women’s rights advocates and health professionals. Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, called them “devastating bans” that delay access to lifesaving medical care. Amber Thurman “should have been alive today,” said Nancy Northup, director of the Center for Reproductive Rights.
The case also highlights a larger problem: the ambiguity of anti-abortion laws, which prevent doctors from making clear decisions to save lives. “She died in the hospital, surrounded by medical staff who could have saved her,” tweeted feminist author Jessica Valenti.
A burning political question
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the issue of abortion has become one of the central issues. The US Supreme Court, significantly overhauled by the Trump administration, has allowed states to redefine their abortion policies, making the situation extremely unequal across regions. Women like Amber find themselves held hostage in a fragmented health care system.
