In a heartbreaking case that is raising national questions about medical ethics, reproductive rights, and state law, Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old registered nurse from Atlanta, has been brain dead for more than three months—but remains on life support due to her pregnancy.
Now at 21 weeks gestation, Smith’s body is being kept alive by machines solely to carry her pregnancy to term, a decision her family says they were not allowed to make because of Georgia’s strict abortion laws.
The situation is legally complex and emotionally devastating for her loved ones, who are being forced to watch her lifeless body maintained only for the sake of an unborn child whose own future is uncertain.
A Tragic Medical Emergency
In early February, Smith—who worked at Emory University Hospital—began experiencing severe headaches while nearly nine weeks pregnant. She sought help at Northside Hospital, where, according to her mother April Newkirk, she was released without a CT scan or thorough testing.
The next morning, she awoke struggling to breathe. Her boyfriend quickly called 911, and after being rushed to Emory Decatur, she was eventually transferred to Emory University Hospital.
There, doctors discovered multiple blood clots in her brain. But by then, it was too late. Smith was declared legally brain dead—a condition recognized in all 50 U.S. states as equivalent to death.
A Family Frozen by the Law
Despite Smith’s diagnosis, doctors told her family they could not remove her from life support, citing Georgia’s “Heartbeat Law” — formally known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act, passed in 2019. The law bans abortion after roughly six weeks, or once fetal cardiac activity is detected, with limited exceptions for rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger.
Ironically, Smith is legally dead, yet her state of being does not meet the law’s threshold of “risk to the mother’s life”, creating a legal gray area. Her body is being used as a vessel to carry her fetus, while her parents and partner are denied the legal right to make medical decisions on her behalf.
“She’s been breathing through machines for over 90 days,” said her mother, April Newkirk. “It’s torture. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there.”
Health Concerns for the Unborn Baby
The family’s pain is compounded by serious concerns about the unborn child’s health. The fetus is developing with fluid on the brain, and doctors warn of potential long-term disabilities, including blindness, inability to walk, or even death shortly after birth.
“They’re hoping to get the baby to at least 32 weeks,” said Newkirk, meaning Smith would need to remain on life support for at least 11 more weeks, adding to the financial, emotional, and ethical burden already crushing her family.
A Voice Denied
Smith did not have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, but her family says that the decision to continue the pregnancy should have been theirs to make.
“We might not have chosen to end the pregnancy,” said Newkirk. “But that choice was taken away from us.”
Her young son continues to visit the hospital, unaware of the full truth, believing his mother is only sleeping.
A Systemic Failure?
Beyond the legal battle, the family believes Adriana’s death could have been prevented had medical staff at the first hospital done their due diligence.
“If they had kept her overnight or done a CT scan, this wouldn’t have happened,” her mother said. Now, the family is dealing with the dual trauma of preventable loss and being legally powerless in the face of a pregnancy sustained without their consent.