Georgia doctors speak out to challenge misinformation on state's abortion law, death of Amber Thurman

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Two Georgia doctors and lawmakers weigh in on the tragic case of Amber Nicole Thurman

Two Georgia doctors, one a congressman and the other a state legislator, weigh in on the tragic case of Amber Nicole Thurman and media claims that state laws regulating abortion led to her death.

EXCLUSIVE: Two Georgia lawmakers who are also doctors experienced in emergency medicine are speaking out against what they say is media "fearmongering" about the Peach State's abortion laws in light of recent reporting on the tragic deaths of two women from the 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 shall be performed if the unborn child has a detectable human heartbeat except in the event of a medical emergency or medically futile pregnancy."

Thurman died in Georgia after taking abortion pills and suffering complications. According to ProPublica reporting, doctors at Piedmont Henry Hospital waited a prolonged period of time before performing the necessary dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure to remove the dead fetus, which is not an abortion, out of reportedly being in fear of facing legal backlash due to the state's abortion law. 

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

But Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., and state Rep. Mark Newton don't believe the law had anything to do with Thurman's death, but rather the complications allegedly caused by the abortion pills, as doctors may have waited too long to intercede.

"We never deny a woman an abortion because it's going to harm her in some way. She will always be protected," McCormick, who previously served as emergency department head in a Navy deployment in 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 right now. When they say there's no exceptions, there's never any law in any state where there's no exceptions. That doesn't exist. That's simply not the way it works. The mother's life is always protected. With that said, it doesn't mean it's easy to get an abortion just because you have a complication or because something goes wrong."

Once a baby's heart has stopped, McCormick said, there are no restrictions on performing a D&C to ensure the safety of the mother.

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

"In my understanding, is, this baby was already in demise. There was no reason that it had anything to do with whether she could have a D&C or not. That's actually irrelevant to the baby's life because the baby's already gone," McCormick said. "If the heartbeat stopped it's not about this law. Remember, it has nothing to do with this law at that point. It has everything to do with doing the best care for the woman."

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

"I do not think there's anything in Georgia's law, unless someone had a complete misunderstanding or just failed to be aware of what Georgia's 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 a life-threatening emergency"

Georgia's law should not affect the timing of medical decisions, he said, adding that cases involving septic shock due to complications from a miscarriage or abortion present high mortality risks, and physicians often have to make quick decisions to stabilize patients for surgery, which typically happens immediately in emergency situations.

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

Democrats and pro-choice advocates have since blamed so-called "abortion bans" for the cause of the two deaths and are seeking 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" relating to the fatalities. 

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"Amber Thurman and Candi Miller died after they suffered complications from dangerous abortion drugs and did not receive appropriate, completely legal emergency care," president Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.  "The laws do not penalize women who have abortions and they use plain, commonly accepted legal language."

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

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