Baby Of Brain-Dead Georgia Woman Delivered Via C-Section — And 'Fighting' For Life In The NICU

Almost four months after she was declared brain-dead, pregnant Adriana Smith underwent an emergency C-section to deliver her baby. She has since been taken off life support.

As we’ve been following, back on February 19, the registered nurse from Atlanta was declared brain-dead after she suffered multiple blood clots in her brain. In a horrific turn of events, it turned out she was about nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death. Due to Georgia’s abortion ban, her family was given no choice but to leave her on life support for months — a situation Adriana’s mother April Newkirk called “torture.”

Related: 16 & Pregnant‘s Whitney Purvis Was Late & MISSED Her Son’s Funeral!

You see, the state’s law declares “no abortion shall be performed if the unborn child has a detectable human heartbeat except (a) in the event of a medical emergency or medically futile pregnancy.” A “medical emergency” is defined by a case in which “an abortion is necessary in order to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or the substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” But seeing as she was already brain-dead, this left the patient in a tricky gray area.

While doctors intended to wait to take out the baby at 32 weeks, April told 11Alive on Monday that after nearly four months, her daughter underwent an emergency C-section on Friday, June 13th. Her son, symbolically named Chance, weighs about 1 lb., 13 oz… So small… Obviously he was taken straight to the NICU. She shared:

“He’s expected to be OK. He’s just fighting. We just want prayers for him. Just keep praying for him. He’s here now.”

It has always been unclear if the child would even survive the unusual pregnancy or if he would be born with disabilities. So, the fact he’s expected to pull through is incredible — but it is also “so early,” as April pointed out, so there is still a lot left unknown. We will keep him in our thoughts as he continues to fight.

The grieving mother then shared that the hospital was set to remove Adriana from life support on Tuesday, June 17. April said the family had just celebrated what would have been her daughter’s 31st birthday over the weekend and preparing to finally truly grieve her was “hard to process.” She wishes she had more time — both with her daughter when she was alive and even now before she was set to be taken off life support, noting:

“I would [like more time]. I would. So, it’s hard. I think that’s been it for me since I left the hospital today. I’m just like, ‘Oh, boy, tomorrow at 2 o’clock, oh my God. Lord, what do I do? You know, how can I make it not happen? You know. I’m a mother. I’m a mother. I shouldn’t be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me.”

Heartbreaking that the hospital forced them to keep her on life support so long and then were immediately ready to pull the plug without giving the family more time to process. Just devastating for them.

April continued:

“If I could say one more thing to her, I guess I would tell her that I love her and that she was a great daughter.”

So, so sad. Adriana was also a mother to a 7-year-old son, who has believed his mom was “just sleeping,” his grandmother previously told the outlet. April noted this week that they will share with him at a later time that he has a new brother.

Addressing the legal gray area her family has been caught up in amid Georgia’s LIFE Act, April said:

“I think all women should have a choice about their body. And I think I want people to know that she was a nurse, an R.N. The same field that she worked in is the same people that failed her.”

The day before she was declared brain-dead, Adriana went to Northside Hospital for a severe headache. According to her mother, she was sent home with medicine but never had any scans or tests done. Hours later, she became unresponsive and was taken to Emory University Hospital, where her blood clots were discovered and she was declared brain-dead. April expressed:

“Everybody deserves healthcare. I just feel like the ball was dropped.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the growing hospital bills and long-term care expenses for both children. You can donate HERE.

Hear more from April on this devastating loss and challenging birth (below):

Our hearts go out to this family. Such an awful situation. We are sending them lots of love and will be keeping them all in our thoughts. May Adriana finally rest in peace.

[Image via GoFundMe/April Newkirk & 11Alive/YouTube]

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