Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Kept on Life Support Due to Georgia’s Abortion Law

Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman on Life Support: A Result of Georgia’s Abortion Laws?

A pregnant woman from Georgia has been on life support for three months after being declared brain dead. The state’s strict anti-abortion law prevents her from being removed from life support, upsetting her family. Adriana Smith, a mother and nurse who’s due date is still months away, was declared brain dead in February due to blood clots in her brain. Her mother claims the law doesn’t allow family members a say in such circumstances.

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Georgia’s “heartbeat law”, one of the strictest abortion laws in conservative states, was enforced three years ago. These types of laws have been controversial, leading to significant legal and political debates, particularly around the exclusion of major pregnancy complications. The Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade has further fueled these debates.

Smith, now 21 weeks pregnant, receives visits from her family, including her five-year-old son, at Emory University Hospital. However, if life support were to be removed, it would likely result in the death of the fetus. The hospital declined requests for comments, citing privacy rules.

Smith’s family has been told by the hospital that they can’t stop or remove life-support devices due to Georgia’s law banning abortions after cardiac activity is detectable, typically around six weeks into the pregnancy.

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Legal experts disagree on the interpretation of the law, with some arguing continued treatment isn’t legally required in this case. Smith’s fetus is reported to have fluid on the brain, raising concerns about its health after birth. The situation adds increased scrutiny to Georgia’s abortion law, which confers personhood on a fetus.

Brain-dead pregnancies are rare and complex cases for doctors, who need to prolong the pregnancy whilst managing the risk of infection and cardiac failure in the mother.

“Her family deserved the right to have decision-making power about her medical decisions,” said Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong, the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s abortion law. “Instead, they have endured over 90 days of retraumatization, expensive medical costs, and the cruelty of being unable to resolve and move toward healing.”