New York, May 17: Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old nurse and mother, has been on life support for over 90 days after being declared brain-dead, a situation her family attributes to Georgia’s restrictive abortion laws. Smith, who was 21 weeks pregnant at the time of reporting, is being kept alive until the fetus reaches viability, despite having no brain activity.

Her family says they have not been given a choice in the matter, adding to their grief. “This decision should’ve been left to us,” Her mother, April Newkirk, said. “Every day that goes by, it’s more cost, more trauma, more questions,” she added. ‘Ghosted Everyone’: Wisconsin Woman Who Went Missing 60 Years Ago Found Alive in Another State.

Who Is Adriana Smith?

Adriana Smith was a registered nurse at Emory University Hospital and a mother from Atlanta. In early February 2025, while nine weeks pregnant, she began suffering severe headaches and sought medical care at Northside Hospital. Her mother claimed Smith was sent home with medication, but no diagnostic scans were conducted.

The next morning, Smith’s boyfriend found her gasping for breath in her sleep. She was rushed to Emory University Hospital, where doctors discovered multiple blood clots in her brain. Despite emergency efforts, Smith was declared brain-dead. “She’s been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,” her mother said. “It’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there. ‘They Took a Chunk of Her Arm, Her Legs Were Ate Up’: Deaf Woman Mauled to Death by Dogs in St. Louis, US; Husband Injured.

Why Is Adriana Smith Being Kept Alive in US Despite Being Declared Brain-Dead?

Georgia’s abortion law, one of the most restrictive in the US, bans most abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks. Though exceptions exist for medical emergencies, Smith’s case falls into a legal grey area: she is brain-dead, yet the fetus continues to develop with a heartbeat.

Doctors have informed the family that, under state law, they are obligated to maintain life support until the fetus is viable outside the womb, estimated around 32 weeks. Smith is currently 21 weeks pregnant.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2025 11:26 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).