A pregnant woman in Georgia, USA, was kept alive despite being brain-dead due to strict laws against abortion. She gave birth via emergency Cesarean section on June 13, 2025. The baby, named Chance, was born prematurely and is currently in the NICU. After this, the mother, Adriana Smith, has been taken off life support.
Smith was a registered nurse and nine weeks pregnant when she experienced severe headaches in February. She was taken to the hospital but given only medication. The next day, when she was taken to the hospital where she worked, she was found to have blood clots in her brain and was declared brain-dead.
Because Georgia abortion law prohibits abortions after six weeks, doctors were unsure what action to take. Smith's mother, April Newkirk, said that even if they did not choose to terminate the pregnancy, they should have had the right to choose.
Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, more than 20 states have enacted strict laws against abortion. Georgia is one of them.
Three female congresswomen – Nikema Williams, Ayanna Pressley, and Sara Jacobs – filed a resolution to better protect pregnant women, especially Black women, who are often affected by medical neglect and anti-abortion laws.
