SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Gov. Brian Kemp's spokesperson released a statement Friday on abortion in Georgia after reports were released about the deaths of two pregnant women. Every life is precious, including that of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller. They would likely both be alive today if partisan activists and so-called journalists had not spread such egregious misinformation and propaganda that fostered a culture of fear and confusion. Rather than use their tragic deaths for political gain or to reignite the same deadly misinformation campaign that puts patients’ lives at risk, these activists and journalists should honor Amber and Candi’s memory by ensuring that Georgians know the truth about the LIFE Act and their healthcare options in our state. Regardless, we will continue to fight for and protect the lives of the most vulnerable among us. Garrison Douglas, Kemp spokesperson The deaths of Thurman and Miller came to light in ProPublica reports released this week. In the state of Georgia, HB 481 was passed in 2019 which bans abortions after approximately six weeks of pregnancy. The ban is considered a "Heartbeat" bill, meaning that if fetal cardiac activity can be detected, then an abortion is prohibited. Thurman, 28, died in 2022 after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat complications that occurred after she took abortion pills. As reported by ProPublica, the case is the first publicly reported instance of a woman dying from delayed care tied to a state abortion law. Thurman needed a dilation and curettage (D&C), a procedure in which tissue is removed from inside the uterus, ProPublica reported. However, Georgia's ban considers a D&C a felony if performed outside of specific circumstances and could land doctors behind bars for up to 10 years. Thurman's death was "preventable," according to Georgia’s maternal mortality review committee, which said the hospital's delay in providing the D&C due to state law "had a large impact on her fatal outcome," ProPublica reported. Miller, a woman with lupus, diabetes and hypertension, took abortion pills she ordered online in November 2022 before she died. She did not expel all the fetal tissue and would need a D&C procedure to clear it from her uterus and stave off sepsis, a grave and painful infection, according to ProPublica. Georgia State Election Board approves rule requiring hand count of ballots ProPublica said that an autopsy found fetal tissue that hadn’t been expelled and a lethal combination of painkillers. The state’s maternal mortality review committee did not believe abortion medication caused her death, the report said. Surgical abortions involve an in-clinic visit. Despite the name, they are classified as medical procedures, not surgeries, and the process involves a doctor using suction to empty the patient’s uterus. Medical abortions are a much more recent method, with the first abortion pill getting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2000. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, roughly half of abortions at eight weeks gestation or less are medical abortions. The medical abortion involves two medications: mifepristone and misoprostol.