Anyone following the after-effects of abortion bans in several states would be aware of the case of Adriana Smith. It sounds like it is a dystopian novel, which it is. Following word for word the work of Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Adriana was brain dead left to become a vessel for her unborn child, even in her death.
Adriana Smith was a 30-year-old registered nurse and mother of one from Atlanta. She was declared brain-dead in February 2025 after suffering multiple blood clots. But this was the beginning of the ordeal for her and her family.
When Adriana was declared brain dead, she was approximately ten weeks pregnant. In most medical and legal contexts, brain death is considered the end of life, not in Georgia. Here, post-Roe v. Wade abortion laws complicated this case.
Under the state’s “heartbeat law,” abortions are banned after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which is usually around six weeks. Smith’s medical team felt that they were legally compelled to keep her on life support to preserve the pregnancy.
Adriana Smith is being kept alive after being declared brain dead because she is still pregnant — and abortion is banned in Georgia.
Now her family, already grieving, has to cover the costs of keeping her on life support. pic.twitter.com/80xSoHv9WI
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) June 16, 2025
The culprit in this scenario is the ambiguity in the law’s definition of a “medical emergency.” This was to be expected when such laws were formed without any input from trained doctors and based on limited knowledge of women’s anatomy and the pregnancy of men.
These half-cooked laws placed doctors and families in an impossible position. They were unable to carry out what many would consider a standard end-of-life decision.
As expected, this decision had a profound and lasting impact on Smith’s loved ones. They were forced to navigate the heartbreak of losing Adriana and also the trauma of seeing her body sustained artificially. This trauma went on for months after she was declared dead. The family was robbed of the moment to say their goodbyes and mourn her in peace and even put her child through the crisis of knowing her dead mother was being kept alive.
She gave birth a couple of days ago and the baby is 1lb 13 ounces in the NICU. They are taking Adriana Smith off life support later today. 🥺🕊️ https://t.co/zcDqUfHITm
— Certified Hoodie Thief 🏁 (@KryssyLaReina) June 17, 2025
Nearly four months after Adriana was declared brain dead, doctors had to perform an emergency surgery on her “body” to retrieve the fetus growing inside. It’s a boy who weighed just 1 pound and 12 ounces at the time of surgery.
He was immediately admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). His condition remains serious. Yet doctors are hopeful of his survival.
The boy has been named Chance and may also face a tough emotional and medical road ahead. There is a chance that he will have issues with his mobility and vision. He will also remain famous for being born of a dead woman, a name that certainly will not bring any joy in his life.
Adriana Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, offered an update on the baby’s health after being born premature. https://t.co/L2MZxOoCtG
— Hello Beautiful (@HelloBeautiful) June 18, 2025
April Newkirk is Adriana’s mother, who has been caring for her seven-year-old daughter. She has described the idea of explaining a child of his mother’s condition as pure torture. Adriana’s son still believes that his mother is just asleep. The family has gone through months of pain, uncertainty, and helplessness. They have also felt stripped of their ability to make decisions on behalf of a loved one who could no longer speak for herself.
With the baby delivered, the family prepares to remove Adriana from life support. They plan to honor her with a celebration on what would have been her 31st birthday before saying their final goodbye.
Smith’s case shines a harsh light on Georgia’s restrictive abortion law. However, state officials eventually clarified that ending life support for a brain-dead woman would not be concluded as an illegal abortion. This guidance came too late to change Adriana’s course.
Her case reveals the confusion and ethical dilemmas that arise when the law imposes rigid boundaries on complex medical realities.
