Adriana Smith, brain-dead Georgian mother who gave birth to a son, to be taken off life support
Adriana Smith, a brain dead woman who gave birth to her son, would be removed from
life support
soon.
Adriana Smith
was a nurse from metro Atlanta. She was declared brain dead on Feb 19, when she was 8 weeks pregnant, reports said.
The cause of death was blood clots in her brain after she had a bad headache and went to the hospital. The hospital sent her home, and within hours, she became unresponsive. Her family says the doctors later told them she had suffered blood clots and was brain dead.
Birth of baby Chance
On June 13 at 4:41 AM, Adriana's baby boy was born via emergency C-section. The baby's name is Chance and he was born prematurely. He was born very small, just 1 pound 13 ounces, and is now in the NICU. The family says he's still fighting but should be okay, as per the report by 11Alive.
Adriana has been on life support for almost 4 months. The hospital plans to remove life support on Tuesday, as confirmed by her mom. Her mom said it's really hard to accept and she wishes she had more time with her. The family celebrated Adriana's 31st birthday recently.
People across the country noticed Adriana's case because of Georgia's abortion law (House Bill 481 / LIFE Act). The law stops most abortions after a heartbeat is found but doesn't say what to do if the mom is brain dead. Doctors told the family they had to keep Adriana on life support because of the law, as per the report by 11Alive.
Live Events
But in May, the Georgia Attorney General's Office clarified that nothing in the law forces hospitals to keep brain-dead pregnant women on machines. Emory Healthcare, where she was treated, hasn't explained its decision in detail, only that it considered Georgia's abortion law and other laws, as per the report by AP.
State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes called the legal confusion 'life and death contradictions.' Adriana's mom said the family should have had a choice about her daughter's treatment. She said they may not have ended the pregnancy, but they still wanted the right to decide. She added, 'All women should have a choice about their body.'
Adriana as a person
Adriana was a nurse who loved her job. Her mom said the medical system that she worked in also let her down. Adriana was a caring mom to her 7-year-old son. He thinks she's just been sleeping. The family hasn't told him yet that he has a baby brother, as per the reports.
Adriana was kind, smart, caring, loved traveling, and wanted to study more. Some of her old patients even said she was a great nurse. The family is raising money online to support both children and cover hospital costs. Adriana's mom said, 'This hit us really, really hard' and asked for prayers and privacy, as per the report by 11Alive.
FAQs
Q1. Who was Adriana Smith?
She was a pregnant nurse in Georgia who became brain dead and stayed on life support until her baby was born.
Q2. Why didn't they turn off her life support?
Doctors were confused by Georgia's abortion law and thought they had to keep her on it.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Adriana Smith, brain-dead Georgian mother who gave birth to a son, to be taken off life support
Adriana Smith, a brain dead woman who gave birth to her son, would be removed from life support soon. Adriana Smith was a nurse from metro Atlanta. She was declared brain dead on Feb 19, when she was 8 weeks pregnant, reports said. The cause of death was blood clots in her brain after she had a bad headache and went to the hospital. The hospital sent her home, and within hours, she became unresponsive. Her family says the doctors later told them she had suffered blood clots and was brain dead. Birth of baby Chance On June 13 at 4:41 AM, Adriana's baby boy was born via emergency C-section. The baby's name is Chance and he was born prematurely. He was born very small, just 1 pound 13 ounces, and is now in the NICU. The family says he's still fighting but should be okay, as per the report by 11Alive. Adriana has been on life support for almost 4 months. The hospital plans to remove life support on Tuesday, as confirmed by her mom. Her mom said it's really hard to accept and she wishes she had more time with her. The family celebrated Adriana's 31st birthday recently. People across the country noticed Adriana's case because of Georgia's abortion law (House Bill 481 / LIFE Act). The law stops most abortions after a heartbeat is found but doesn't say what to do if the mom is brain dead. Doctors told the family they had to keep Adriana on life support because of the law, as per the report by 11Alive. Live Events But in May, the Georgia Attorney General's Office clarified that nothing in the law forces hospitals to keep brain-dead pregnant women on machines. Emory Healthcare, where she was treated, hasn't explained its decision in detail, only that it considered Georgia's abortion law and other laws, as per the report by AP. State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes called the legal confusion 'life and death contradictions.' Adriana's mom said the family should have had a choice about her daughter's treatment. She said they may not have ended the pregnancy, but they still wanted the right to decide. She added, 'All women should have a choice about their body.' Adriana as a person Adriana was a nurse who loved her job. Her mom said the medical system that she worked in also let her down. Adriana was a caring mom to her 7-year-old son. He thinks she's just been sleeping. The family hasn't told him yet that he has a baby brother, as per the reports. Adriana was kind, smart, caring, loved traveling, and wanted to study more. Some of her old patients even said she was a great nurse. The family is raising money online to support both children and cover hospital costs. Adriana's mom said, 'This hit us really, really hard' and asked for prayers and privacy, as per the report by 11Alive. FAQs Q1. Who was Adriana Smith? She was a pregnant nurse in Georgia who became brain dead and stayed on life support until her baby was born. Q2. Why didn't they turn off her life support? Doctors were confused by Georgia's abortion law and thought they had to keep her on it.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Adriana Smith? Georgia's brain dead woman gives birth amid abortion law controversy, ‘He's just fighting'
Adriana Smith, a woman from Georgia who was compelled to bear a child, gave birth after months of being brain dead. She is now anticipated to be taken off life support. According to her family, the baby was delivered on Friday. Smith's mother, April Newkirk, informed Atlanta's NBC station WXIA that the baby, Chance, was delivered via emergency cesarean section due to preterm birth. According to her, the infant is in the neonatal intensive care unit and weighs around one pound, thirteen ounces. 'He's expected to be OK,' she informed the broadcaster. 'He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him.' Smith is also a mother to an elder son. In a previous interview, she told WXIA that the LIFE Act, the state's nearly complete restriction on abortion, forced the family to keep Smith alive. The Smith's family, who celebrated her 31st birthday on Sunday, stated that she was sent to the hospital in February after first seeking treatment for excruciating headaches. Also Read: Tyler Perry reacts to Derek Dixon's bombshell $260mn lawsuit allegations; Here's what he said In 2019, Governor Brian Kemp signed the 'Heartbeat Bill,' also known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, after it was passed by state lawmakers primarily along party lines. It generally outlawed abortions after six weeks. After the US Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in July 2022, it formally entered into force. In response to a reaction from pro-abortion activists, similar laws were enacted in other states around the country. According to Newkirk, Smith was first admitted to Northside Hospital but was later discharged after receiving treatment. However, the hospital performed no tests or scans. Smith's boyfriend saw her gasping for air and making gargling noises when he woke up the day after she sought treatment, Newkirk told WXIA. A CT scan revealed many blood clots in Smith's brain after she was taken to Emory Decatur Hospital and then moved to Emory University Hospital, according to the station. Newkirk informed that her daughter was put on a ventilator after being deemed brain dead. Smith will be removed from life support on Tuesday, she said. 'It's kind of hard, you know,' she said to the station. 'It's hard to process.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Georgia abortion law: Brain-dead woman gives birth in US; life support continued due to strict legal rules
This is a representative AI image (TIL Denny) In a rare case, a brain-dead woman in Georgia gave birth to a premature baby boy through a C-section while being kept on life support, her family said. Doctors kept the mother, Adriana Smith, on life support in line with the US state of Georgia's abortion laws. The baby, named Chance, was born on Friday and is currently being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit. He weighed 1lb 13oz (0.8kg) at birth, the woman's mother, April Newkirk told local TV station 11 Alive. "He's expected to be OK," Smith's mother told the outlet. "He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him," she added. Newkirk said her daughter, would be taken off life support on Tuesday (local time). "It's hard to process," she said. "I'm her mother. I shouldn't be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me," she added. Earlier in February, Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse visited a hospital with severe headaches but was given medication and sent home, according to Newkirk. "They gave her some medication, but they didn't do any tests. No CT scan," Newkirk told 11Alive in May. "If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's The Price for a 1-Day Walk-in Shower In 2025 Homebuddy Learn More Undo It could have been prevented," she added. The next day, Smith woke up gasping for air. She was rushed to Emory University Hospital, where doctors found blood clots in her brain and declared her brain-dead. At the time, Smith was over three months away from her due date. However, her family said doctors told them they could not take her off life support or remove the breathing equipment due to Georgia's strict abortion law, which bans termination once fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks into pregnancy. Newkirk said her grandson may face serious health issues including possible blindness and difficulty walking or survival challenges due to her daughter's health complications, BBC reported. She had earlier also expressed frustration that the decision to continue life support wasn't left to the family. "This decision should've been left to us. Now we're left wondering what kind of life he'll have — and we're going to be the ones raising him," she had earlier said. What is Georgia's Heartbeat Bill? Georgia's Heartbeat Bill, passed in 2019 and enforced since July 2022 bans abortion once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks gestation. The legislation became effective after the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which had previously guaranteed women's constitutional right to abortion.
