Adriana Smith, an Atlanta woman who was declared brain dead while pregnant, had her life support switched off after giving birth. The latest update from her family centers on the health of her newborn son.
Smith, a registered nurse, faced a medical crisis in February 2025, resulting in doctors at Emory University Hospital declaring her brain-dead. Despite this, they were required to keep Smith on life support due to her pregnancy, as dictated by the ‘heartbeat bill’ signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019. This legislation prevents abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, generally around six weeks of pregnancy.
Following the delivery of her son, Smith’s life support was terminated on June 17, four days after the birth.
In recent developments, Smith’s family has reported that the newborn, named Chance, continues to fight for survival. Chance was born via emergency cesarean section on June 13, weighing just 1 lb. 13 oz., and has since grown to nearly 5 lbs according to Smith’s mother, April Newkirk. It is believed that Chance could leave medical care by late September or early October.
“His weight is gradually picking up, but the breathing is what we’re concerned with,” Newkirk shared with PEOPLE magazine on August 27. “So, he’s making a little bit of progress, but still some things to do.”
Newkirk has expressed the family’s desire for prayers for Chance’s health and strength.
The past months have been challenging for Newkirk, as she navigates the loss of her daughter. She told 11Alive, “Something’s been taken away from us, it’s hard. You know, I think about her every day, all the time.”
Newkirk has openly criticized the decision to maintain Smith’s life support, describing it as ‘torture’ to watch her daughter suffer. “She’s been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,” Newkirk once explained. “It’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there. And her son — I bring him to see her.”
The Life Act, introduced after the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, prohibits abortions in Georgia after six weeks of gestation unless there is a medical emergency or medically futile pregnancy. Despite Smith’s medical emergency, Emory University Hospital doctors believed that disconnecting her life support would breach this law, prompting discussions on the ethical implications of the heartbeat bill.
“I want them to know that this didn’t have to happen,” Newkirk remarked about the medical decision-makers. “I want them to know that the law needs to be changed. It doesn’t need to be altered. It doesn’t need to be in effect at all. Women have rights; it’s their body.”
Emory Healthcare has stated that its medical recommendations are based on multiple factors. “The top priorities at Emory Healthcare continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients and families we serve,” a spokesperson told ABC News. “Emory Healthcare uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature and legal guidance to support our providers as they make medical recommendations. Emory Healthcare is legally required to maintain the confidentiality of the protected health information of our patients, which is why we are unable to comment on individual matters and circumstances.”