Why This Family Is Being Forced to Keep a Pregnant Brain-Dead Woman Alive Will Infuriate You
Three months have passed since a Georgia woman was declared brain dead. But although her family is ready to let her go, one state law is forcing them to keep her on life support.
Adriana Smith started complaining of severe headaches in February, according to her mother. She soon sought medical treatment at Northside Hospital, and was released with medication.
'They didn't do any tests. No CT scan,' April Newkirk, Smith's mother, told 11Alive. 'If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.'
The next morning, Smith's boyfriend woke up to her making gargling sounds and gasping for air in her sleep. She was only nine weeks pregnant, but after being rushed to the hospital, doctors said there was nothing they could do. 'They asked me if I would agree to a procedure to relieve the pressure, and I said yes,' her mother said. 'Then they called me back and said they couldn't do it.'
Eventually, Smith was transferred to Emory University Hospital, where she worked as a nurse, according to reports. As of May 15, it's been over three months since the 30-year-old woman was put on life support. 'She's been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,' Newkirk continued. 'It's torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she's not there.' Smith is a mother to a young son who believes his mother is just 'sleeping.'
Now, Smith is 21 weeks pregnant, and according to Georgia's heartbeat bill, she cannot be taken off of life support until she gives birth through cesarean section. Georgia House Bill 481, the anti-abortion bill passed in 2019, prevents an abortion after a fetus' heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks.
The law makes exceptions for rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger, which Smith's case doesn't technically fall in. Her medical team is legally obligated to keep her alive until the fetus reaches viability. They are also not allowed to explore any other medical options. 'I think every woman should have the right to make their own decision,' Newkirk told 11 Alive. 'And if not, then their partner or their parents.'
To matters even worse, because Smith is brain dead, there's no way to fully understand the condition of her future son. 'She's pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born,' her mother said. She went on to say doctors told her the fetus has fluid on the brain but they're not sure how much.
Smith is just one of many women impacted by anti-abortion laws across the country. A Texas woman was recently forced to carry her daughter to term despite the child have anencephaly, a fatal condition preventing a child's brain and skull from forming properly, according to CNN.
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