The Georgia woman's family thanked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) for mentioning her death during Tuesday's presidential debate.
During the vice presidential debate, Walz spoke about Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old woman who died from an infection after suffering rare complications from a medical abortion. around propublica reportAfter seeking medical care for an incomplete abortion, she waited 20 hours at an Atlanta-area hospital for doctors to administer the necessary treatment.
“She just happened to be in the state of Georgia, which has very strict regulations,” Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, said during the debate. “As a result, she had to travel a long distance to North Carolina for treatment. Amber Thurman passed away on the trip there and back. [fact of the] The question is, how can we, the people, say that our lives and rights as fundamental as the right to control our own bodies are determined by geography? If Amber Thurman lived in Minnesota, there's a very good chance she would still be alive today. ”
“We applaud Governor Tim Walz's unwavering commitment to telling Amber's story and defending women's reproductive rights,” Thurman's family said in a statement Tuesday.
“Amber's tragic death was a direct result of Georgia's archaic and dangerously restrictive abortion laws, which denied Amber the life-saving care she desperately needed,” the statement continued. . “We strongly condemn the Republican platform, which seeks to further restrict women’s access to necessary health care in the false name of protection.”
When asked for comment, the Republican National Committee (RNC) referred The Hill to a statement from the Trump campaign's national press secretary, Caroline Leavitt.
“President Trump has always supported Georgia law's rape, incest, and maternal life exceptions,” Levitt said in a statement. “Given these exceptions, why do doctors It is unclear why the police did not act quickly to protect Amber Thurman's life.” life. “
Vice President Harris and Vice President Walz made abortion rights a central pillar of their campaigns and attacked former President Trump over his Supreme Court appointments that ultimately helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
