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ARC-SOUTHEAST: GEORGIA ABORTION BAN RESPONSIBLE FOR AMBER’S DEATH
ATLANTA, GA — ARC-Southeast is both heartbroken and outraged by the news of Amber Thurman and others tragically losing their lives as a direct consequence of dangerous abortion bans in Georgia. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those who have suffered loss under these unjust policies.
Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old mother, died after developing sepsis due to rare complications from a medication abortion. She sought care at a hospital in suburban Atlanta, yet doctors, fearful of violating Georgia’s abortion ban, hesitated to perform a routine and life-saving procedure, dilation and curettage (D&C), to remove remaining fetal tissue. This delay in care proved fatal, and is the exact consequence that abortion funds have long warned about.
“This delay in reproductive care was a result of Georgia’s repressive abortion ban. Doctors are afraid to perform timely care out of fear of persecution and criminalization, patients are fearful to speak with their doctors, and people such as Amber Thurman are dying because of it,” said Alexia Henry-Rice, ARC-Southeast Co-Executive Director.
Abortion bans disproportionately harm Black people, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups. These laws are deeply rooted in systemic inequality and add further barriers to accessing essential healthcare. Georgia already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, and abortion bans create a web of fear and delays, communicating that the lives of birthing people are less valuable. Amber Thurman’s death is not an isolated case: it reflects the larger harm that abortion restrictions inflict on vulnerable communities.
“It is unacceptable that life-saving procedures were withheld for over 20 hours, leading to a death that could have been avoided had compassionate care been available without restriction,” said Angel Whaley, ARC-Southeast Co-Executive Director. “These are preventable deaths that highlight the cruel realities of restrictive abortion laws, which prioritize political agendas over the care we deserve.”
Amber’s 6-year-old son is now left without a mother, her family is left in grief, and her community is left grappling with the tragic effects of these unjust laws. Amber should never have had to wait for over 20 hours while sepsis set in, and doctors should never have been placed in a position where legal fear overrode timely, life-saving care.
ARC-Southeast remains resolute in its commitment to advocating for reproductive justice and equitable access to care for all. We call on Georgia lawmakers to repeal these harmful and repressive bans, we seek justice for the victims’ families, and for all healthcare providers to put patients’ lives first. Furthermore, we ask that the City of Atlanta and Georgia legislative officials take decisive action to pass the Reproductive Freedom Act, which would repeal Georgia’s medically-unnecessary abortion restrictions and make abortion care accessible to everyone who needs it.
Every unnecessary loss of life must be a wake-up call—abortion bans are lethal, and the time for change is long overdue. ARC-Southeast will not stop fighting until everyone has access to the reproductive healthcare they need and deserve as a fundamental human right.
About Access Reproductive Care-Southeast (ARC-Southeast): ARC-Southeast provides funding and logistical support to ensure Southerners receive safe and compassionate reproductive care, including abortion services. Through education, mutual aid, and leadership development, we build power in communities of color to abolish stigma and restore dignity, justice, and the human right to access abortion care.