Abortion Law Forces Doctors to Keep Pregnant Brain Dead Woman Alive

Published May 14, 2025 at 3:19 PM EDT

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Adriana Smith, 30, a mother and registered nurse from Atlanta, was almost nine weeks pregnant in early February when it was discovered that she had blood clots in her brain [...]

Around that time, Smith reportedly began experiencing intense headaches. [...] According to her mother, April Newkirk, Smith sought treatment at Northside Hospital but was released after being given medication.

"They gave her some medication, but they didn't do any tests. No CT scan," [...] Newkirk [...] [said]. "If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. [...]"

Smith then gasped for air in her sleep the following morning, to what her boyfriend compared to gargling noises. [...] medical personnel took her to Emory Decatur prior to transferring her to Emory University Hospital—the latter of where she worked as a nurse.

"They asked me if I would agree to a procedure to relieve the pressure, and I said yes," Newkirk said. "Then they called me back and said they couldn't do it."

Smith was declared brain dead and, as of today, has been hooked to life-saving machines for more than 90 days. [...]

Doctors are supposedly waiting until the fetus is at 32 weeks gestation, which is months from now, as Smith is currently 21 weeks pregnant. Doctors have reportedly told her family that under Georgia's heartbeat law, they are legally required to maintain life support until the fetus reaches viability.

No other legal issues to circumnavigate the law can be sought, either.

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Doctors have [told Newkirk] that the baby, a male, has an unknown amount of fluid on the brain.

"She's pregnant with my grandson," Newkirk said. "But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born."

"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."