There’s an update to report about Adriana Smith, a metro Atlanta nurse who was declared brain dead in February while pregnant and forced to give birth by the state of Georgia anyway, sparking outrage from reproductive rights advocates as well as any decent human being who believes in body autonomy.
Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, announced this week that her grandson, Chance, was born prematurely Friday, June 13, around 4:41 a.m. by emergency Cesarean section, and while she celebrates his birth, she still maintains that her family’s right to choose her daughter’s fate was stolen from them unjustly.
“He’s expected to be OK,” Newkirk told 11 Alive of Chance, who is currently in the NICU and weighs just a little over 1-pound. “He’s just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He’s here now.”
“I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy. But I’m saying we should have had a choice,” Newkirk said in a previous interview.
On Monday, she doubled down on the sentiment, despite her new grandson’s birth.
“I think all women should have a choice about their body. And I think I want people to know that,” she said.
Here’s how we got here, as reported by 11 Alive:
Smith was declared brain dead on February 19, when she was eight weeks pregnant. Newkirk said doctors told the family they were required to keep Smith on life support under the state’s abortion law, House Bill 481, also known as the LIFE Act.
The law does not explicitly address situations involving brain death, but experts and some lawmakers said it has created confusion in medical settings.
“These are not small contradictions. These are life and death contradictions,” said State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes during a recent press conference.
In May, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office clarified that Smith’s family had absolutely no legal obligation to keep the then-30-year-old (Smith turned 31 over the weekend) on life support in order to save her unborn child.
“There is nothing in the LIFE Act that requires medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death,” said spokesperson Kara Murray. “Removing life support is not an action with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy.”
So, some — particularly those who are passionately pro-life — may see this as a tragedy with a happy ending. Others, possibly including members of Smith’s family, might see it as bittersweet. Then there are those who view Smith’s story as one of egregious oppression and manipulation at the hands of pro-life advocates, and a threat against a woman’s right to choose.
Either way, Smith’s family is now set to finally say goodbye on Tuesday.
Rest well, Adriana Smith. Our hearts go out to her family.
