‘Promise you’ll take care of my son’: Republican abortion policies are killing women

Politicians, and especially men, should not have any say in a woman’s body. Full stop. And yet, it continues to happen, time and time again. Now, thanks to the new abortion policies Republican lawmakers have been creating since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, women face a much bigger risk that has unfortunately become more common: Death.

Our example in this case is Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28-year-old mother who was a victim to these policies. In 2022, after learning she was pregnant again, she used her own bodily autonomy to decide to terminate the pregnancy, since she wanted to attend nursing school and already had a son. It is a perfectly acceptable reasoning, especially for the welfare of a preexisting child, and it is something pro-life supporters often ignore. Thurman had enough financial stability for her and her six-year-old, and knew she would not have it if she had another child.

However, in order to proceed with the abortion, Thurman needed to cross state lines into North Carolina. The ban passed in Georgia three years prior prohibited abortion at six weeks, and her pregnancy had just passed that mark. Six weeks is absolutely not enough time for a cutoff. For most women, it’s between four to twelve weeks before they realize that they are pregnant.

ProPublica revealed all these details in a report. When Thurman realized she was pregnant with twins, she made the decision that is well within her rights to terminate the pregnancy. Due to traffic on the way to North Carolina, Thurman was unable to undergo the procedure and was instead given abortion pills. After getting home, she began to suffer from pain and heavy bleeding, which are rare complications.

Because she was too far away from North Carolina to safely make it in time for a free D&C (dilation and curettage) procedure, Thurman went instead to a local hospital. According to medical records obtained by ProPublica, “doctors noted a foul odor during a pelvic exam, and an ultrasound showed possible tissue in her uterus.” Because of the ban, the doctors were afraid to perform the procedure. They delayed the surgery until Thurman’s organs failed and until it was too late. As a result, Thurman passed away from the complications, leaving her six-year-old son without a mother.

This is just one story if a sea of many in the wake of nationwide abortion bans. Two years on from this particular story, we are still seeing the effects. And they are not the fault of the women: rather, they are the fault of the people in power. A ban such as the LIFE Act, which is ironically what took Thurman’s, is not there to protect people. It is there because of a religious few who hide behind the Bible.

Where are they when these women face complications? As they lay dying in hospital beds across the country? Where are they once unwanted babies are born into a life their mothers weren’t equipped for? The answer is frustratingly and painstakingly simple: These politicians do not care. Their “pro-life” values extend only as far as an unborn fetus. Once that fetus is born, well. You’re on your own, kid.

The effects of Trump’s presidency still linger like a repugnant odor. Amber Thurman should not have died from something so preventable. She will not be the last; it is an unfortunate truth of American society. “Promise me you’ll take care of my son” should not be something a young, perfectly-healthy mother should ever have to say to her mother. Amber Thurman should not be another statistic. And yet, unless we sign Roe V. Wade back into law, unless we make changes, we will continue to see these statistics pile up.

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Rachel Tolleson

Rachel (she/her) is a freelancer at The Mary Sue. She has been freelancing since 2013 in various forms, but has been an entertainment freelancer since 2016. When not writing her thoughts on film and television, she can also be found writing screenplays and poetry. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her cats Carla and Thorin Oakenshield but is a Midwesterner at heart. She is also a tried and true emo kid and the epitome of "it was never a phase, Mom," but with a dual affinity for dad rock. If she’s not rewatching Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul she’s probably rewatching Our Flag Means Death.

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