Family of mom who died after delayed abortion care says death was preventable

The family of a young Georgia mother who died successful 2022 from delayed abortion care says Amber Thurman's decease could person been avoided successful a lawsuit that has go a portion of nan nation's abortion debate.

After a medicine abortion, Thurman, 28, was rushed to a hospital. However, doctors waited 19 hours earlier performing room to region nan fetal tissue, according to a ProPublica communicative published successful September. The study includes accusation from a backstage authorities investigation that outlines Thurman's curen and death.

"I consciousness for illustration it was aesculapian malpractice, and I opportunity that because it was preventable," Amber Thurman's sister, Andrika Thurman, said.

Thurman's family wants her to beryllium remembered arsenic a existent person.

"Amber was loved," said Shanette Williams, Thurman's mother. "She had ambitions. She had goals. She had dreams. Everything she did, she did it for her boy to make a amended life for him."

Amber's story

In nan summertime of 2022, Thurman had precocious moved into a caller spot pinch her 6-year-old son, Messiah, and had applied to nursing school.

When she learned she was pregnant pinch twins, her family said she worried astir really she would attraction for them.

"Being her large sister, my consequence was, 'I support you successful immoderate determination you take to make, I'm here,'" said Cjauna Williams.

At nan time, Thurman's location authorities of Georgia had conscionable implemented its six-week abortion ban, pursuing nan overturning of Roe v. Wade.

"I don't understand really specified a rule could person been made. They opportunity that nan United States of America is nan onshore of nan free. So why aren't women free to make their ain decisions astir their health? My sister died arsenic a result, and I conscionable don't understand it," said Andrika Thurman.

Weeks later, connected Aug. 13, erstwhile Thurman was 9 weeks pregnant, she decided to thrust 4 hours to North Carolina to get a surgical abortion. Her champion friend, Ricaria Baker, told ProPublica that she traveled pinch Thurman that day, but they missed nan assignment owed to traffic.

According to ProPublica, a session worker offered Thurman nan FDA-approved abortion pill operation that accounts for complete half of U.S. abortions. Baker told nan nonprofit investigative publicity outlet Propublica that Thurman signed a merchandise stating she was alert location are sometimes adverse reactions.

Days aft taking nan 2nd pill, Thurman knowledgeable terrible cramping. Her fellow called 911 to study she was vomiting blood.

Just earlier 7 p.m. section clip connected Aug. 18, Thurman was taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital successful Stockbridge, Georgia, astir 20 miles southbound of Atlanta.

It would reportedly return 19 hours earlier doctors decided to execute dilation and curettage surgery, besides known arsenic D&C. It's a communal process utilized to region remaining fetal insubstantial from nan uterus.

Williams told CBS News she was led to judge her daughter's humor unit was stable.

According to ProPublica, during surgery, Thurman's bosom stopped. She died connected Aug. 19, 2022. Her decease certificate said she died of septic daze and retained products connected conception.

"I was there, she was giving maine instructions. You person to return attraction of Messiah. Y'all person to return attraction of my babe and past nan adjacent clip I saw her, she was lifeless," Williams said.

A Piedmont Hospital spokesperson issued a connection to CBS News, saying successful part, "Ms. Thurman presented successful our Emergency Department successful superior information and began receiving attraction upon arrival. The attraction we provided successful our efforts to prevention Ms. Thurman's life, including nan timing of her diagnostic workup, stabilization, interventions to dainty her sepsis, and surgery, were based solely connected clinically driven champion practices."  

ProPublica investigation

Georgia has a Maternal Mortality Review Committee made up of much than 30 experts, including 10 doctors. It reviews diligent cases to place nan guidelines causes of Georgia's expanding maternal mortality rate.

Their findings are not made public, but ProPublica obtained a confidential report on Thurman from nan reappraisal committee.

It wasn't until September 2024 that Thurman's family learned caller accusation astir her death. According to nan study from nan reappraisal committee, which concluded successful July, location is simply a "good chance" that providing a D&C earlier could person prevented Thurman's death.

Thurman's family hired lawyer Ben Crump to analyse nan case.

"The aesculapian records still person not been released to show america what is nan communicative of nan doctors who were treating her," Crump said.

Kavitha Surana is nan ProPublica writer who obtained nan study from a confidential source, astir 2 years aft Thurman's death. She said she was capable to spot a summary of Thurman's time successful nan hospital.

Surana said nan committee study summarized Thurman's curen connected Aug. 18 and 19, showing her wellness declining each hour. Despite her worsening condition, doctors didn't return her into room until 19 hours aft she arrived.

"They (the committee) are tasked pinch penning down nan factors that led to nan decease and assigning really large of an effect it could person had. So they chose a ample effect and, they checked nan container of bully chance that nan result could person been prevented," she explained. 

It is chartless why nan doctors waited 19 hours to return Thurman into surgery. Many doctors successful states pinch restrictive abortion bans person publically acknowledged fearfulness of losing their aesculapian licence aliases being prosecuted if they break nan law. A pro-life obstetrician told CBS News doctors should person acted sooner, based connected nan report.

In October, nan Georgia Supreme Court reinstated nan state's restrictive six-week abortion prohibition while nan state's entreaty is underway. A judge had antecedently halted nan ban, calling it unconstitutional.

In:
• Georgia
• Abortion
• ProPublica