Georgia doctors speak out to challenge misinformation about the state’s abortion law and the death of Amber Thurman

EXCLUSIVETwo Georgia lawmakers, who are also physicians with experience in emergency medicine, are speaking out against what they say is “fear-mongering” in the media about the Peach State’s abortion laws, in light of recent reporting on the tragic death of two women from out of state.

ProPublica’s reporting on the death of Amber Nicole Thurman last week sparked controversy over Georgia’s heartbeat law, which states that “no abortion may be performed if the unborn child has a detectable human heartbeat, except in the case of a medical emergency or a medically futile pregnancy.”

Thurman subsequently died in Georgia taking abortion pills and experience complications. According to ProPublica reports, doctors at Piedmont Henry Hospital waited a long time before performing the necessary dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure to remove the dead fetus, which is not an abortion, because they reportedly feared legal backlash due to the state’s abortion law.

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left: Mark Newton, MD; right: Rich McCormick, MD

Georgia State Representative Mark Newton and U.S. Representative Rich McCormick are both emergency room doctors. (Mark Newton/Rich McCormick for Congress)

But Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and state Rep. Mark Newton do not believe the law has anything to do with Thurman’s death, but rather the complications allegedly caused by the abortion pills, because doctors may have waited too long with Thurman’s death. mediate.

“We never deny a woman an abortion because it will harm her in some way. She will always be protected,” McCormick, who previously served as chief of the emergency department during a Marine deployment to Afghanistan, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“You have every right to an abortion, even with that heartbeat law,” he continued. “So let’s make that very clear now. When they say there are no exceptions, there is never a law in a state where there are no exceptions. That doesn’t exist. It just doesn’t work that way. The mother’s life is always protected .” That said, it doesn’t mean it’s easy to have an abortion just because you have a complication or something goes wrong.”

Once a baby’s heart has stopped, McCormick says there are no longer any restrictions on performing a D&C to ensure the mother’s safety.

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The box of mifepristone and the packaging of the pills are shown

Mifepristone and Misoprostol pills are pictured, October 3, 2018, in Skokie, Illinois. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“In my opinion, this baby was already dead. There was no reason that it had anything to do with whether or not she could get a D&C. That’s actually not relevant to the baby’s life, because the baby was already gone is,” McCormick said. . “If the heartbeat stops, it is not about this law. Remember, at that moment it has nothing to do with this law. It has everything to do with the best care for the woman.”

Newton, a board-certified emergency physician, added that doctors face complex decisions regarding the risks of surgery versus the risks of not performing it, especially in life-threatening emergencies.

“I don’t think anything in Georgia law, unless someone had a complete misunderstanding or just wasn’t aware of what Georgia law was, has nothing to do with the timing of the decision-making,” Newton said. “This situation in which the woman presented was clearly a medical or life-threatening emergency”

Georgian law should not affect the timing of medical decisions, he said, adding that cases of septic shock due to complications from miscarriage or abortion carry high mortality risks, and doctors often have to make quick decisions to treat patients stabilize before surgery, which is what usually happens. immediately in emergency situations.

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An anti-abortion rights protester holding a 'Keep abortion legal' sign

An abortion rights protester holds a sign during a rally on May 14, 2022 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (AP)

Democrats and pro-choice advocates have since blamed the two deaths on so-called “abortion bans” and are trying to force votes on abortion-related bills on Capitol Hill.

The advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America released a six-figure ad on Tuesday “calling out Vice President Kamala Harris and pro-abortion Democrats for spreading misinformation” regarding the fatalities.

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“Amber Thurman and Candi Miller died after suffering complications from dangerous abortion drugs and not receiving appropriate, fully legal emergency care,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “The laws do not penalize women who have abortions and use clear, widely accepted legal language.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Piedmont Henry Hospital but did not receive a response before publication.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.