The death on August 19, 2022 of Amber Thurman is a tragedy that any of us would want to have prevented.
But make no mistake: If we don't gather the facts and identify the actual causes of her death, we will find deaths like hers more common, not less.
So, what were the causes of this young woman's death in the ER of Piedmont Henry hospital in suburban Atlanta, GA?
Here Are Some Facts To Consider
In the summer of 2022, Amber Nicole Thurman was a 28-year old single-mother with one son, living in suburban Atlana, GA who discovered that she was pregnant with twins.
Because Georgia restricts abortions after six weeks, she was quickly unable to get one locally. Now nine weeks pregnant, she made an appointment at a clinic some 4 hours away in North Carolina. Unfortunatley, she was late arriving and missed her appointment by 15 minutes.
That clinic gave her the medication mifepristone, which she took there. She was then given the second drug in the chemical abortion regimen, misoprosto, and told to take it on her own—no doctor required. She did that at home in Atlanta.
Within days, Thurman was in pain and bleeding heavily. Apparently, there was still "fetal tissue with no heartbeat" in her body and she needed medical care: a routine dilation and curettage procedure that is explicity allowed by GA law. (See Resources Below)
Amber Thurman went to nearby Piedmont Henry Hospital, but waited 20 hours before doctors operated. Though it is not clear from the records available why the doctors waited, Amber Thurman died there.
There is no denying the fact that Georgia has a tight restriction on abortion procedures - 6 weeks. But there is also no denying the fact that the medical care Amber Thurman needed when she arrived at Piedmont Henry was explicitly allowed by Georgia law. (Again, a link to that law is in Resources below. See for yourself.) One cause that contributed to her death was medical malpractice. The hospital is currently being sued for that.
The cause that sent Amber Thurman to the hospital in the first place though, was the chemical abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprosto. Let me bullet list some facts gathered about this medication:
- In 2016, the FDA eliminated safeguards on abortion medication in three significant ways:
- by reducing the number of required office visits for women taking abortion drugs from three to one
- by no longer requiring that a doctor prescribe the drugs
- by eliminating the requirement that prescribers report non-lethal adverse events from the drugs
- In 2021, the FDA removed the requirement for women seeking abortion drugs to have any in-person appointments. From: What the FDA Hasn’t Told You About Mifepristone
- According to the FDA’s own label, roughly one in 25 women who use abortion drugs end up in the emergency room. From: Abortion Drugs, Not Georgia’s Pro-Life Laws, Killed AmberThurman
- Pills are available by mail in all states, even in states that ban clinic-based abortion care. This is possible because some states have “shield laws” that protect clinicians when they provide telehealth care to someone in another state. From "PlanCPills.org" I'm not making this link available.
- Abortions at home (with mifepristone and misoprosto) were banned in the Netherlands (one of the most pro-abortion countries in the world) because even the abortion clinics themselves said it was too medically risky. From: Abortion Advocates Are Lying about the Tragic Deaths in Georgia
There is room to have the discussion about the wisdom and consequences of restricting access to surgical abortions, whether at 6 weeks like GA and 3 other states, or the 24 states that restrict after 20-22 weeks or the 9 states with no time restrictions at all.
But self-administered, mail-order chemical abortions intersected by medical malpractice??? That sounds dangerous to me. I'm sure that is not how I want to extend support to women with crisis pregnancies any more than I think using shame or rejection moves someone in a healthy direction.
How about you? What would it look for a gospel-centered community of Christ-followers to walk over time with someone experiencing a crisis pregnancy? That is the question I find myself wrestling with.
And, am I missing something in my considerations? If so, I'd be willing to find a time to listen, face-to-face. Just call the Harderwyk office and let's find a way to set up a conversation.
Finally, if you or someone you know is facing a crisis or unexpected pregnancy, know that I will talk, pray and support you regardless of your choice.
Resources
CLICK HERE to read the actual Georgia law. The entire document is 10 pages, but you can read lines 88 through 108 - they are marked in the left-hand margin - and see for yourself how the bill defines abortion, as well as medical procedures that are allowed.
CLICK HERE for the article Abortion Advocates Are Lying about the Tragic Deaths in Georgia. The Title Sums it all up.
CLICK HERE for the article Abortion Drugs, Not Georgia’s Pro-Life Laws, Killed Amber Thurman produced by the Alliance Defending Freedom - an educational, advocacy and legal group.
CLICK HERE for What the FDA Hasn’t Told You About Mifepristone by the Alliance Defending Freedom
CLICK HERE for the website of Positive Options in Holland, MI. These friends have resources that lead to life and support people in crisis pregnancy situations.
