Family of Pregnant Mom Declared Brain Dead Wants Her Unborn Baby to Live
The family of Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old Georgia mother and nurse declared brain dead in February, is fighting to give her unborn son, named Chance, a opportunity at life.
Smith, who was eight weeks pregnant when she suffered a catastrophic brain injury due to undetected blood clots, remains on ventilators at Emory University Hospital Midtown, where doctors are working to sustain her baby at least until he reaches viability.
Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, shared an emotional update, noting that baby Chance is “doing better” with a strong heartbeat and developing limbs, offering hope amid their grief.
Newkirk told 11Alive that baby Chance “is actually doing better than the last time I met with the doctors. He has his legs, his toes, his limbs, heartbeat is good and strong…” — and they are hoping he survives. “The journey is for baby Chance to survive — and whatever condition God allows him to come here in, we’re going to love him just the same, and we’re gonna embrace him.”
The family, which includes Smith’s 7-year-old son, has embraced the chance to honor Adriana’s legacy through her unborn child, whom they see as a “second chance” for her life to continue. We want her life to continue through her children, Newkirk told reporters, emphasizing their desire to love and raise Chance, regardless of potential health challenges.
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The case has sparked debate over Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, which bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically around six weeks. Because Smith is brain dead and no longer at risk herself, her medical team is legally required to maintain life support until the fetus reaches viability, a decision that initially left the family feeling powerless.
However, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr clarified on May 16, 2025, that the LIFE Act does not mandate keeping a brain-dead woman on life support.
Removing life support is not an action with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy, Carr’s office stated, suggesting the hospital’s decision may stem from Georgia’s broader laws on withdrawing life support for pregnant patients, enacted in 2007. These laws, also present in states like Alaska and Colorado where abortion is legal, require life support to continue unless the baby is non-viable and the patient has an advance directive explicitly requesting withdrawal.
Pro-life advocates, including Monica Snyder of Secular Pro-Life, argue that Smith’s case reflects the importance of respecting a mother’s wishes.
“Adriana Smith wanted her baby,” Snyder wrote, noting that media and abortion advocates often overlook that some women would choose to protect their unborn child, even in such tragic circumstances. Snyder cited a study showing that in 35 similar cases of maternal brain death, 77% of babies were born alive, with 85% of those having normal outcomes by 20 months, underscoring the potential for positive outcomes.
The family’s ordeal began when Smith sought treatment for severe headaches at Northside Hospital in early February but was sent home with medication and no diagnostic tests. Newkirk believes a CT scan could have detected the clots and saved her daughter’s life.
The following day, Smith was found unresponsive, and a CT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain, leading to her being declared brain dead.
Now 22 weeks pregnant, Smith’s body is being sustained with nutrition and steroids to support Chance’s growth.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover expenses and support Smith’s young son, calling for community prayers as they await Chance’s birth.
As the August delivery date approaches, the family remains hopeful, determined to give Adriana’s unborn son the chance she would have wanted.
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