Georgia Mother Declared Brain Dead Gives Birth While on Life Support Amid Abortion Law Debate

ATLANTA – Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse from the metro Atlanta area, who was declared brain dead nearly four months ago, is expected to be removed from life support soon, her family has indicated. The decision comes after Smith gave birth to a son while medically sustained, a case that has drawn national attention due to its connection to Georgia’s controversial abortion law.

Smith was pronounced brain dead on February 19, 2025, after suffering blood clots in her brain. At the time, she was approximately 8 weeks pregnant. Despite her condition, she remained on life support for almost four months to continue the pregnancy.

The Delivery of Baby Chance

The prolonged medical support allowed the pregnancy to continue until doctors performed an emergency C-section on Friday, June 13, 2025. Smith delivered a baby boy, whom the family named Chance. He was born prematurely at 4:41 AM, weighing 1 pound 13 ounces. Baby Chance is currently receiving care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Legal and Ethical Dimensions Emerge

The decision to keep Smith on life support for months after being declared brain dead became a focal point of discussion, particularly in light of Georgia’s abortion legislation. Her family reported that physicians at Emory Healthcare, where Smith received treatment, conveyed that they felt obligated to maintain her life support due to the state’s law, House Bill 481, also known as the LIFE Act. This law generally prohibits most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.

However, the legal necessity of this action was questioned. In May 2025, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office issued a clarification, stating that the LIFE Act does not mandate hospitals to keep brain-dead pregnant women on life support. This clarification appeared to contradict the rationale the family reported receiving from the hospital staff.

Emory Healthcare has not publicly offered a detailed explanation for its decision-making process in Smith’s case. In a statement, the hospital confirmed it considered Georgia’s abortion laws along with other applicable legal statutes in determining the course of care.

A Family’s Ordeal

Adriana Smith’s case highlights the complex medical, legal, and ethical challenges that can arise at the intersection of advanced medical technology, reproductive rights legislation, and profound personal tragedy. Beyond her newborn son, Chance, Smith is also mother to a 7-year-old son. The family’s decision to potentially remove life support soon, possibly on Tuesday, marks a new phase in their difficult journey following months of uncertainty and vigil.

Medical experts note that while maintaining physiological function in brain-dead patients is possible with life support, sustaining a pregnancy under such conditions presents significant medical complexities and ethical considerations, particularly over an extended period. Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain functions, including in the brainstem, and is legally recognized as death in most jurisdictions.

The case of Adriana Smith and baby Chance has resonated nationally, underscoring the human impact of debates surrounding abortion laws and the difficult decisions faced by families and healthcare providers in unprecedented medical scenarios.