Photo: iStockphoto
A brain-dead woman is reportedly being forced to carry a fetus to birth due to Georgia's abortion ban, per The Independent.
30-year-old Adriana Smith, a registered nurse at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, was nine weeks pregnant in February when she began having headaches. Smith went to Northside Hospital, where she was later released after being given medication, her mother, April Newkirk, said.
“They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests, didn’t do any CT scans. If they did, they would have caught it,” Newkirk said.
The next morning, Smith's boyfriend noticed she was "gasping for air in her sleep, gargling. More than likely, it was blood,” Newkirk recalled.
After being taken to Emory University Hospital, Smith was declared brain dead following a CT scan that showed several blood clots in her brain.
“I feel like somebody dropped the ball at the hospitals, and her boyfriend asked, ‘Please keep her.’ If she was kept at the hospital, we wouldn’t be here,” Newkirk said.
Over three months later, Smith remains on life support because doctors said they must keep her alive until her baby can live outside the womb. The family wasn't given any other alternatives for her care due to Georgia's heartbeat law, which bans abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat. This usually takes place around six weeks of pregnancy.
“It’s torture for me. I come here, and I see my daughter breathing on a ventilator, but she’s not there,” Newkirk said.
The health of the unborn child remains unclear. Smith is currently set to remain on life support until the child can live outside the womb, which will likely be around 32 weeks of pregnancy.
“She’s pregnant with my grandson, but my grandson may be blind, may not be able to walk, wheelchair-bound. We don’t know if he’ll live once she has him,” Newkirk said. “It should have been left up to the family.”
Georgia's abortion ban includes some exceptions, such as or rape, incest, or if the mother's life is at risk. However, Smith, who was declared brain-dead, is no longer viewed as being at risk herself, forcing medical staff to deliver the fetus.
“I think every woman should have the right to make their own decision, and if not, then their partner or their parents,” Newkirk said. “I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy, but what I’m saying is we should have had a choice.”
“This decision should’ve been left to us. Now we’re left wondering what kind of life he’ll have—and we’re going to be the ones raising him," she added.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.