ProPublica: At least two Black mothers have died from restrictive abortion care in Georgia

A ProPublica investigative report about two Black mothers is intensifying the debate over reproductive rights this election season. It focuses on two Georgia women whose deaths could have been prevented with timely abortion and medical care, according to maternal health experts.

Earlier this week, Kavitha Surana, a reporter at ProPublica, joined “Closer Look” to talk with show host Rose Scott about the passing of Amber Nicole Thurman. On Friday, Surana returned to the program and talked with Scott about Candi Miller’s story. The conversation came ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign visit to Atlanta on Friday to deliver remarks on reproductive rights.

According to ProPublica’s investigation, Miller was a 41-year-old mother of three. She had lupus, diabetes and hypertension. Because she believed she would not be able to get an abortion in Georgia, the report says, Miller took her medical care into her own hands. She ordered abortion pills online and took the medication, but some of the fetal tissue did not expel from her body. She developed an infection and was later found unresponsive at home. Miller was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.