Brain-Dead Woman Kept Alive by Georgia Abortion Law -

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May 15, 2025 | Atlanta, Georgia

Adriana Smith is a 30-year-old nurse from Atlanta who has been kept alive on machines for more than three months, even though she is brain-dead. This happened because of Georgia’s strict abortion laws. Adriana was nine weeks pregnant when she started having bad headaches in February. She went to the hospital for help. Her mother, April Newkirk, said the hospital gave her medicine but did not do important tests like a CT scan. This test might have found the blood clots in her brain earlier.

The next morning, Adriana’s boyfriend found her unconscious and having trouble breathing. She was brought back to the hospital. Physicians discovered numerous blood clots in her brain, which had resulted in a lot of brain damage. They considered performing surgery, but it was too late. Shortly after that, Adriana was found to be brain-dead.

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Traditionally, when someone is brain dead, physicians discontinue life support since brain death indicates that the individual is dead. But Georgia has a law called the LIFE Act, or the “Heartbeat Bill,” that bans abortion once a baby’s heartbeat can be heard. This usually happens around six weeks of pregnancy. There are some exceptions to the law if the mother’s health is in danger, but Adriana’s case is unclear under this law.

Since Adriana is brain-dead, doctors say she is not at risk anymore. The law says they must keep her body alive so the baby can grow until it is strong enough to survive outside the womb. The doctors want to keep her body alive until at least 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Adriana’s mother said this is very painful for the family. She said, “It’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing with machines, but she is not there.” Adriana has a son who thinks his mother is just sleeping. The family is worried the baby might have serious health problems if born.

Her mother also said the hardest part is that they did not have a choice in this. She said, “This decision should have been left to us. Maybe we would have kept the pregnancy, but not having the option is the hardest part.”

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Right now, Adriana is 21 weeks pregnant. Doctors hope to keep her body alive for another 11 weeks to give the baby a better chance to live.

This story shows how hard it is when strict abortion laws don’t allow doctors and families to make the best decisions in emergencies. It also raises questions about what happens to a woman’s rights if she is brain-dead and the baby is still alive.

The case of Adriana Smith reminds us that laws about abortion can cause a lot of pain for families. While the law protects the baby’s life, it can also make families suffer a lot when they have no control over the situation. It is important for laws to respect families’ wishes and for doctors to be able to do what is best for their patients.

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