Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old nurse from Atlanta, Georgia, was declared brain dead in early February 2025 after suffering from blood clots in her brain. Now, over 90 days later, her family is left questioning Georgia’s heartbeat law and why they have no say in her care, as her body remains on life support for the fetus, now at 21 weeks. This tragic case shines a spotlight on the clash between medical ethics, family rights, and abortion laws.
Adriana, a registered nurse at Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital, was about nine weeks pregnant when she started having bad headaches in February. She went to Northside Hospital for help but was released after being given medication, according to her mother, April Newkirk.
“They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests, didn’t do any CT scans. If they did, they would have caught it,”
Newkirk said, reflecting on what might have saved her daughter. The next morning, Adriana’s boyfriend noticed something was wrong.
“She was gasping for air in her sleep, gargling. More than likely, it was blood,”
Newkirk recalled. Adriana was rushed to Emory Decatur Hospital, then transferred to the hospital where she worked. A CT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain. Unfortunately, there was nothing doctors could do, and Smith was declared brain dead.
“I feel like somebody dropped the ball at the hospital, and her boyfriend asked, ‘Please keep her! If she were kept at the hospital, we wouldn’t be here,”
Newkirk shared, expressing her frustration with the initial care Adriana received. At the time, Georgia’s heartbeat law, which bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected around six weeks, came into effect. The law requires hospitals to maintain life support to preserve the fetus until it reaches viability, typically around 32 weeks. Doctors are now working to keep Adriana’s body functioning until late July or early August for a possible delivery, despite her family’s wishes to let her rest.
More than 90 days later, Adriana’s family, including her young son, is still by her side as she remains on life support, but they say they weren’t given any say in her case because of the law.
“It’s torture for me. I come here, and I see my daughter breathing on a ventilator, but she’s not there,”
Newkirk said, capturing the emotional toll of the situation. Now at 21 weeks’ gestation, the baby’s health is uncertain. Adriana was moved to Emory Midtown on Tuesday, which doctors told the family is better equipped for obstetric care. The plan is to keep Adriana alive until doctors believe the baby can survive outside the womb, likely at 32 weeks.
The fetus, identified as male, faces serious health challenges, including fluid on the brain, which could lead to blindness, inability to walk, or even death after birth.
“She’s pregnant with my grandson, but my grandson may be blind, may not be able to walk, or may be wheelchair-bound. We don’t know if he’ll live once she has him,”
Newkirk said.
“It should have been left up to the family!”
She added, emphasizing their lack of control in this heartbreaking situation. The family brings Adriana’s son to see her, telling him she’s sleeping, while grappling with the emotional and financial strain of prolonged medical care.
This case has sparked intense debate. Advocacy groups argue the LIFE Act strips families of autonomy, forcing them to endure trauma for a fetus with uncertain prospects. Others, including supporters of the law, see it as a defense of life, a stance championed by Georgia’s governor when the law was signed in 2019. Legal challenges to the law continue, with recent court rulings keeping the six-week ban in place, but the outcome of these battles could reshape cases like Adriana’s.
For now, Adriana remains at Emory Midtown, her family holding onto hope for change while her story fuels a national conversation about the intersection of abortion laws and personal rights. As Newkirk says, it’s a situation no one should be forced into.
