Amber Thurman: The current political climate is deadly

The current political state of America is worsening the Black maternal mortality crisis. In September of 2024, 28-year-old Amber Thurman passed away because of inability to access an abortion clinic. Her death, which also left her six-year-old son motherless, was entirely preventable.

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Thurman took abortion pills, but they did not properly remove the fetus out of her body. Thus, she needed to get a dilation and curettage procedure performed, and sought it out at Piedmont Henry Hospital. When she arrived, she was told that this procedure could not be performed because it had, that very summer, been deemed illegal in Georgia. The doctors placed Thurman, hurting terribly, in a hospital bed, and watched her infection worsen and spread throughout her body. They did not take any action. Her blood pressure dropped. Her organs were fighting to continue functioning and failing. The doctors finally operated on her after 20 torturous hours, but they were too late to save her. 

Thurman’s death was caused fully by the delay involved with the procedure. If it had been performed earlier, she would still be alive today. 

After the passing of Roe v. Wade, the maternal mortality rate for women of color was reduced by 40%. Now, in the past couple of years, all of that hard work is being undone. The attack on abortion is no longer just a political issue. It is an issue of human rights and of human life. It is imperative that we stand up for the mothers who are being denied life-saving resources and share the stories of the women who have died because of these injustices. Continue speaking up for women whose voices are being taken from them, and continue advocating for Black mothers to get the equality and healthcare they deserve.