A Georgia woman who was put on life support after being declared brain dead in February at eight weeks pregnant has given birth to a baby boy.
Adriana Smith's son, named Chance, was delivered by emergency cesarean section early Friday morning, June 13, at just under 26 weeks gestation, Smith's family told 11 Alive. Weighing approximately 1 pound 13 ounces, he is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
"He's expected to be OK," Smith's mother, April Newkirk said. "He's just fighting."
Smith, 31, was declared brain dead on February 19 after suffering a medical emergency linked to blood clots in her brain. Her case garnered national attention as her family said they were told Georgia's abortion law—House Bill 481, also known as the LIFE Act—required that she be kept on life support to allow the pregnancy to continue, even though she was legally dead.
State officials later said the law does not mandate life support in such cases, but the lack of clarity contributed to confusion and distress for Smith's family.
Newkirk said doctors had hoped to deliver the baby closer to 32 weeks but were forced to act early. The family now prepares to say goodbye to Smith, who will be removed from life support on Tuesday.
"She was a ray of light," Newkirk said. "I shouldn't be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me."
Smith leaves behind two sons: newborn Chance and a 7-year-old. The family has launched a fundraiser to help cover mounting hospital costs and provide long-term support for the children.
Newkirk is calling for greater clarity and compassion in laws impacting medical decision-making, particularly in complex cases like her daughter's. "I'm not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy," she said. "But we should have had a choice."
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