Baby Delivered After Mom Kept on Life Support
A newborn baby has been delivered from a brain-dead woman in Georgia, whose life support was maintained due to the state’s abortion laws. The case has sparked debate about the application of those laws.
Premature Birth
April Newkirk, the mother of Adriana Smith, confirmed that her grandson, named Chance, was delivered via C-section on June 13th. The baby weighed just 0.8kg at birth. Chance is currently receiving specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit, according to 11 Alive.
In an update on July 6th on the GoFundMe page established for Smith’s son, Newkirk shared, “Today I held my grandson. His breathing was better. I did skin to skin. I was so afraid. Chance is 1.2kg.”
Tragic Medical Emergency
Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse from Atlanta, was nine weeks pregnant when she started experiencing severe headaches in February. Despite receiving medication, she became unresponsive within days. Doctors discovered extensive blood clots in her brain, leading to a declaration of brain death.
Because of Georgia law, doctors continued life support to allow the fetus to develop. The hospital indicated that this decision aligned with Georgia’s “heartbeat” law, enacted in 2019, which prohibits abortions after cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.
Legal Interpretation
However, Chris Carr’s office, Georgia’s attorney-general, has questioned this interpretation of the law. His office stated to AtlantaNewsFirst that, “Removing life support is not an action ‘with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy.'”
They clarified there is no mandate to maintain life support for a brain-dead woman.
Community Support
A memorial service celebrating Smith’s life took place on June 28th. As of today, the GoFundMe fundraiser for her children has collected over $488,000 from more than 13,800 donations.
The United States remains sharply divided on abortion rights. A recent Pew Research Center study shows that 57% of U.S. adults say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 41% say it should be illegal in all or most cases (Pew Research Center 2022).
