A 30-year-old woman, Adriana Smith, was declared brain-dead in February after suffering blood clots in her brain. Despite her death, she remains on life support in a Georgia hospital due to strict state anti-abortion laws. The fetus she was carrying is currently 21 weeks old, and doctors plan to maintain life support for at least three more months so the baby can reach full term and be born.

Under Georgia law, as long as the fetus has a heartbeat, terminating the pregnancy or withdrawing life support is prohibited. Adriana’s family is caught in a heartbreaking dilemma, as the hospital continues treatment despite the woman no longer being legally alive.

“My daughter is no longer legally alive, but machines are keeping her body functioning so the fetus can grow,” said Adriana’s mother, April Newkirk. She worries about the fetus’s health, noting that doctors have observed fluid in the baby’s brain and warned of possible complications like blindness, disability, or even death after birth.

Medical experts say the case raises difficult ethical and medical questions, highlighting the challenges when strict abortion laws intersect with family wishes and medical realities.

The hospital has not commented directly on the case but said they follow state law and medical advice, prioritizing patient safety and well-being.