Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman On Life Support Delivers Baby Under Georgia Abortion Law

Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse from Georgia, was declared brain-dead in February while eight weeks pregnant after doctors discovered multiple blood clots in her brain. Due to Georgia's strict abortion laws banning abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, Smith was kept on life support for months to allow the fetus to reach viability. Despite being legally dead, her family was not permitted to withdraw life support, leading to ethical and legal debates about the state's abortion restrictions and the rights of brain-dead pregnant women. On June 13, an emergency cesarean section delivered her premature baby boy, named Chance, who weighed just under two pounds and was admitted to neonatal intensive care. Smith's mother described the situation as torture and expressed the family's pain over not having a choice in the matter. This case has sparked national attention and social media discussions about reproductive rights and medical ethics in Georgia.