BRAIN-DEAD MOTHER GIVES BIRTH IN GEORGIA

Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old Georgia nurse and mother, was just eight weeks pregnant when she was declared brain dead in February after suffering a medical condition. However, the family claims the hospital told them legally she had to be kept on life support to allow the fetus to grow. The family claims doctors told them they were not legally allowed to consider other options.
This is because In 2019, Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law Georgia's so-called heartbeat bill, known as the LIFE Act. The law prevents abortions from being performed once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, which typically occurs at about six weeks' gestation, before many women know they're pregnant and redefines the word "person" in Georgia to include an embryo or fetus at any stage of development.
Last week, on Friday June 13 2025, Smith's baby was born by emergency Caesarean section, weighing under 2 pounds and needing care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In a statement, Emory Healthcare, where Amanda Smith was admitted, said its staff makes medical recommendations for patients using many factors.
"The top priorities at Emory Healthcare continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients and families we serve. Emory Healthcare uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature and legal guidance to support our providers as they make medical recommendations," the statement read. "Emory Healthcare is legally required to maintain the confidentiality of the protected health information of our patients, which is why we are unable to comment on individual matters and circumstances."
The case has captured international attention and raised numerous legal and ethical questions about medical consent; who should get to make decisions for permanently incapacitated people, especially when pregnant; and whether abortion laws are further complicating pregnancy care.