A pregnant woman from Georgia who has been on life support for four months has given birth to a baby boy. While the newborn is healthy, the circumstances surrounding his birth have prompted questions due to the mother being brain-dead for months and forcibly kept alive because of Georgia’s abortion laws .
The woman, Adrianna Smith, an Atlanta nurse, suffered a stroke in February due to a blood clot, resulting in brain death . She was nine weeks pregnant at the time. Georgia’s LIFE Act prevented doctors from removing Smith from life support, despite her family’s wishes, as it would be considered an abortion. Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, stated that Georgia doctors provided no choice to her daughter or family.
Four months later, doctors performed a C-section on Adrianna Smith. Baby Chance was born on Friday, June 13, prematurely, approximately 2-3 months early. He weighed 1.13 lbs, significantly less than the average newborn weight of 5-7 lbs.
Smith was essentially maintained as a vegetative incubator for the baby. While Chance survived, doctors cautioned that he might develop disabilities due to fluid in the fetus’s brain and other factors. Smith’s family is now preparing to say goodbye as doctors can finally remove her from life support.
“I shouldn’t be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me,” said April Newkirk, Adrianna Smith’s mother, according to a transcript from 11Alive .
PEOPLE WERE MIXED REGARDING THE ISSUE
Chance Smith’s birth under such challenging circumstances has elicited varied reactions. Some celebrate it as a miracle, while others emphasize the reality that Adrianna Smith was used as an incubator due to specific political decisions.
While some shared stories of premature babies who survived and thrived, others argued that Smith’s family should have had a choice. Adrianna Smith’s case highlights the potential issues with Georgia’s laws, particularly for women.
“Adriana didn’t deliver the baby. He was taken from her body, which was being used as an incubator. She deserved more dignity in her death. May her soul find peace,” prayed Andrea Mason .
“And layered on this sad loss of the Mom is the inevitable poor outcome of an 825 gram baby in the NICU. It will be miraculous if this baby survives or survives without major disabilities. So sad…,” lamented Melissa Sammons Hughes
“He made it to 25 wks gestation, barely viable. Just goes to show that a womans body on a ventilator is not meant to be a incubator. That sweet baby now has so many hurdles ahead of him. And if he passes away his poor 7 yr brother will be devastated again losing Mom and brother,” argued Stephanie Frye
“Prayers! I was told to unplug my son , weighing same. Higher power ! He is now 27 6 ft tall, niece weighed exact and she is perfectly healthy young woman,” claimed Shirley Shumate
