MACON-BIBB DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE MOURNS PREVENTABLE DEATHS, DEMANDS ACTION ON ABORTION BAN

From: Julia Callahan, Vice-Chair, Macon-Bibb Democratic Committee

Email: bibbcodems@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MACON-BIBB DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE MOURNS PREVENTABLE DEATHS, DEMANDS ACTION ON ABORTION BAN

MACON, GA - The Macon-Bibb Democratic Committee is devastated by reports that at least two Georgia women, Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, died preventable deaths after being denied critical reproductive healthcare due to the state's abortion ban. We mourn their tragic, senseless losses and send our deepest condolences to their grieving families.

These deaths lay bare the dire consequences of Georgia's cruel and extreme abortion ban, which has tied doctors' hands and put women's lives in jeopardy. Amber, a 28-year-old mother, died of sepsis after being forced to wait 20 hours for doctors to provide a routine D&C procedure to treat her infection. Candi, a 41-year-old mother of three, suffered from chronic conditions that made her pregnancy life-threatening, yet Georgia's ban gave her no option for a safe, legal abortion. Both women's deaths were deemed preventable by medical experts.

"How many more women have to die before our lawmakers wake up to the deadly reality they've created?" asked Julia Callahan, Vice Chair of the Macon-Bibb Democratic Committee and co-founder of Middle Georgia 4 Choice. "Abortion bans aren't just political talking points - they're a matter of life and death, and the consequences are playing out in our community in the most tragic way imaginable."

"As someone who has faced my own reproductive health struggles, I'm heartbroken and enraged," Callahan continued. "The state claims its 'lifesaving exceptions' protect women, but Amber and Candi's devastating stories prove that's a lie. Women are being forced to wait until they're on death's doorstep before receiving care. Doctors' hands are tied, even when they know how to save their patient's life. It's barbaric and it must end now."

Macon-Bibb County has the highest Black maternal mortality rate in Georgia, contributing to one of the worst crises of Black maternal deaths in the nation. Georgia has the second highest maternal mortality rate overall, yet instead of working to save women's lives, our lawmakers have passed a ban that's making the crisis worse - especially for women of color like Amber and Candi. Black women in Georgia are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

"Governor Kemp calls Georgia's abortion ban 'lifesaving,' but the blood of these women and others is on his hands," Callahan said. "Enough is enough. We demand the immediate repeal of this deadly ban and the restoration of women's right to comprehensive reproductive care. Not one more woman should have to pay for this cruel law with her life."

The Macon-Bibb Democratic Committee is committed to electing leaders who will protect women's most fundamental rights and liberties, including the right to abortion. We urge every voter to remember Amber and Candi when they cast their ballots on November 5th.

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