A Georgia woman who was declared brain-dead in February has had her baby delivered via emergency cesarean section, 11 Alive reported.
Adriana Smith has been kept alive on life support for three months after succumbing to brain clots earlier in the year. April Newkirk, Smith’s mother, said the baby, Chance, was born prematurely on June 13 weighing 1 pound 13 ounces and is in the newborn intensive care unit.
Smith, 31, was to be taken off life support on Tuesday. Hospital staff told Smith’s family they could not remove their daughter’s life support because of the state’s six-week abortion ban.
Smith’s case has drawn national attention as it highlights the real-life implications of Georgia’s law that bans abortions after there is detectable fetal cardiac activity, typically at six weeks.
After the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Georgia banned abortions with an exception to save the life of the mother. Because Smith was declared brain-dead, the pregnancy was not a risk to her life.
“He’s expected to be OK,” Newkirk told the outlet regarding Chance. “He’s just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He’s here now.”
Smith’s mother said as she welcomes her grandson, she also has to prepare to bury her daughter.
“It’s kind of hard, you know,” she said tearfully. “It’s hard to process.”
“I’m her mother,” Newkirk said. “I shouldn’t be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me.” She added, “If I could say one more thing to her, I guess I would tell her that I love her and that she was a great daughter.”
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