In a rare and heartbreaking case, a brain-dead woman in Atlanta is being kept alive by the doctors, all because she could give birth, to comply with Georgia's strict abortion laws.
Around 90 days have passed since Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and registered nurse, has been declared brain dead but she's being kept on life support to keep her baby alive, reported 11Alive. The reason: a state abortion ban that leaves doctors legally compelled to maintain her pregnancy until the fetus reaches viability.
For April Newkirk, Smith's mother, this is a sheer torture as she sees her daughter breathing, but 'not there'. Even more heartbreaking is to see her grandson believe his mother is 'just sleeping'.
It all started in early February when Smith experienced severe headaches at around nine weeks of her pregnancy. Despite her symptoms, hospital staff failed to perform crucial tests such as a CT scan, missing early warning signs of a catastrophic event.
“They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests. No CT scan,” Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, told 11Alive. “If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.”
The next morning, Newkirk told 11Alive, Smith’s boyfriend found her gasping for air in her sleep, making gurgling noises. When she was rushed to the hospital, a CT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain. By the time doctors decided to go into surgery, it was too late, and Smith was declared brain dead.
Under ordinary circumstances, the family might have been able to consider ending life support. But Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, a law prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, except in narrowly defined medical emergencies, forced doctors to continue life support until the fetus is viable.
What is Georgia's Heartbeat Bill?
Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill, passed in 2019 and enforced since July 2022 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, bans abortion once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks gestation. In many cases by this time women don't even realise they are pregnant. The law allows exceptions only in cases of medical emergency or fatal fetal abnormalities, but definitions are tight and open to interpretation.
Why doctors were forced to maintain Adriana's pregnancy
In Adriana's case, doctors have told the family they must maintain life support because, technically, as she is brain dead, she is no longer considered 'at risk,' removing the medical emergency exemption. This legal gray area has left the family and medical team in limbo.
Risk to unborn child's safety
Newskirk is now concerned about her unborn grandson's health and in many cases children born to brain-dead mothers don't survive. According to National Institutes of Health, between 1982 and 2010, 30 cases of brain-dead pregnant women maintained on life support were reported, resulting in only 12 viable infants who survived the neonatal period.
Children born to mothers who are brain dead can face several health risks, including those related to prematurity, potential complications from maternal complications like infection, and potential long-term neurological issues.
“She’s pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he’s born,” she told the outlet. “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.”
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Around 90 days have passed since Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and registered nurse, has been declared brain dead but she's being kept on life support to keep her baby alive, reported 11Alive. The reason: a state abortion ban that leaves doctors legally compelled to maintain her pregnancy until the fetus reaches viability.
For April Newkirk, Smith's mother, this is a sheer torture as she sees her daughter breathing, but 'not there'. Even more heartbreaking is to see her grandson believe his mother is 'just sleeping'.
It all started in early February when Smith experienced severe headaches at around nine weeks of her pregnancy. Despite her symptoms, hospital staff failed to perform crucial tests such as a CT scan, missing early warning signs of a catastrophic event.
“They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests. No CT scan,” Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, told 11Alive. “If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.”
The next morning, Newkirk told 11Alive, Smith’s boyfriend found her gasping for air in her sleep, making gurgling noises. When she was rushed to the hospital, a CT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain. By the time doctors decided to go into surgery, it was too late, and Smith was declared brain dead.
Under ordinary circumstances, the family might have been able to consider ending life support. But Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, a law prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, except in narrowly defined medical emergencies, forced doctors to continue life support until the fetus is viable.
What is Georgia's Heartbeat Bill?
Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill, passed in 2019 and enforced since July 2022 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, bans abortion once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks gestation. In many cases by this time women don't even realise they are pregnant. The law allows exceptions only in cases of medical emergency or fatal fetal abnormalities, but definitions are tight and open to interpretation.
Why doctors were forced to maintain Adriana's pregnancy
In Adriana's case, doctors have told the family they must maintain life support because, technically, as she is brain dead, she is no longer considered 'at risk,' removing the medical emergency exemption. This legal gray area has left the family and medical team in limbo.
Risk to unborn child's safety
Newskirk is now concerned about her unborn grandson's health and in many cases children born to brain-dead mothers don't survive. According to National Institutes of Health, between 1982 and 2010, 30 cases of brain-dead pregnant women maintained on life support were reported, resulting in only 12 viable infants who survived the neonatal period.
Children born to mothers who are brain dead can face several health risks, including those related to prematurity, potential complications from maternal complications like infection, and potential long-term neurological issues.
“She’s pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he’s born,” she told the outlet. “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.”
Video
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