Georgia woman kept on life support for her baby is a horror
Even though she will never regain consciousness, Smith's body is being kept alive by machines, all because her pregnancy had progressed three weeks beyond the limit set by Georgia's abortion ban.
"It's torture for me," her mother, April Newkirk, told 11Alive. "I see my daughter breathing, but she's not there."
This is the terrifying reality of what Republicans created - for women to be stripped of their dignity, to be seen as nothing more than wombs. The GOP allowed this nightmare to happen because they refused to listen to medical professionals who told them laws like the one in Georgia would create complicated scenarios. Now, one family must live with the pain, as well as the financial burden.
This Georgia woman is an example of what Republicans want
Smith has been on life support for more than 90 days now. Her pregnancy has progressed to 21 weeks. When she reaches 32 weeks, doctors will try delivering the baby, meaning that until then, her body is being forced to continue breathing, essentially a vessel for her unborn child. According to Newkirk, it's possible the baby will be born with health complications due to fluid on his brain.
"This decision should've been left to us," she told 11Alive. "Now we're left wondering what kind of life he'll have--and we're going to be the ones raising him."
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Along with her unborn child, Smith is leaving behind a son. The child has been visiting his mother in the hospital and believes she is sleeping.
While Newkirk says she doesn't know whether the family would have chosen to terminate the pregnancy, the option wasn't even given to them because doctors are required to follow the state's six-week abortion ban. If Roe v. Wade were still the law of the land, they would have had a choice. According to lawmakers, Smith is no longer in imminent danger, a situation in which doctors would be allowed to perform an abortion.
Imagine that this is your daughter - a mother, a girlfriend, a person, being treated as less than human to protect the fetus growing inside her. Imagine knowing she is dead and not being able to plan a funeral service or even grieve because her body is still breathing. Imagine knowing that welcoming a child into the world will mean your loved one's imminent death.
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This Georgia case isn't an anomaly. Women have been suffering.
This isn't the first atrocity due to Georgia's abortion ban. Last year, ProPublica reported that two women died from pregnancy and abortion-related issues after the ban went into effect in 2022. Despite these unimaginably bleak stories, Republicans are still rallying against abortion regardless of the dangers it poses to women.
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This is the new normal that Republicans fought for. Even in the wake of this tragedy, members of the party are refusing to take responsibility for this horrible scenario.
"I think this is an unusual circumstance, but I think it highlights the value of innocent human life," Georgia Sen. Ed Setzler, one of the sponsors of the six-week abortion ban, told the Associated Press. "I think the hospital is acting appropriately."
Even though Smith and her boyfriend wanted this child, it's important to note that at nine weeks, her fetus would barely be past the embryo stage and unable to survive on its own. The choice of what happened next shouldn't be left to lawmakers who are unaffected by the hospital bills and emotional pain. It should have been left to the family.
This is not about protecting women. It was never about protecting women.
?Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeno on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno
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