Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old woman from Atlanta who was declared brain-dead in February, gave birth to a premature baby boy on 13 June while being kept on life support. Smith’s family confirmed that life support will be withdrawn on Tuesday, 17 June.
The child, named Chance, was delivered via emergency caesarean section and weighed around 1 pound 13 ounces at birth. He remains in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with doctors expecting a stable recovery.
“He’s just fighting,” said Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, speaking to local outlet 11Alive. “We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He’s here now.”
Kept alive due to legal uncertainty
Smith was declared brain-dead on 19 February 2025, after suffering blood clots in her brain. At the time, she was eight weeks pregnant. Her family says that despite her condition, she was kept medically alive due to the interpretation of Georgia’s abortion law, known as the LIFE Act, passed in 2019.
The LIFE Act bans most abortions once a foetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks, and includes limited exceptions such as cases involving medical emergencies. However, the law does not provide explicit guidance in cases involving brain death, which left Smith’s doctors uncertain about legal responsibilities.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has previously stated that the law does not explicitly require hospitals to keep brain-dead pregnant women on life support, describing the legal situation as unclear. Nonetheless, the hospital involved reportedly continued life support out of caution, treating the foetus as a separate patient.
Mixed reactions from advocacy groups
The case of Adriana Smith has reignited debate in the United States over the implications of abortion laws. Anti-abortion advocates supported the hospital’s decision to maintain life support, citing the foetus’s right to life. On the other hand, reproductive rights groups have voiced concern that such legislation can remove critical medical decision-making from families.
Newkirk told 11Alive that although the family may not have chosen to end the pregnancy, they were denied the option to make that choice themselves. “I think all women should have a choice about their body,” she said. “And I think I want people to know that.”
Grieving the loss while welcoming new life
While the birth of Chance brought a glimmer of hope to the family, it has been accompanied by immense grief. Smith’s eldest child, a seven-year-old son, has been told that his mother is “asleep.”
Newkirk said the family had met with doctors to prepare for removing life support, scheduled for 2 p.m. on 17 June. “It’s kind of hard, you know,” she told 11Alive. “It’s hard to process.”
A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Smith’s family has received donations from over 3,800 people, raising more than $145,400 of its $275,000 target.
“I shouldn’t be burying my daughter,” said Newkirk. “My daughter should be burying me.”
