Brain-Dead Woman Forced To Carry Fetus To Birth In US Because Of Abortion Ban

A 30-year-old pregnant woman in Georgia, Adriana Smith, has been on life support for three months after being declared brain dead, sparking a complex and contentious situation. According to her mother, April Newkirk, Smith was declared brain dead in February after a medical emergency, and doctors have told the family that they are not allowed to remove life support due to the state's strict anti-abortion law.

The law, known as the "heartbeat law," restricts abortion once cardiac activity is detected, which is generally around six weeks into pregnancy. Newkirk said her daughter is currently 21 weeks pregnant, and removing breathing tubes and other life-saving devices would likely kill the fetus. "She's pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born," Newkirk said, expressing concern about the potential outcome for her grandchild.

The family's situation highlights the challenges and uncertainties surrounding Georgia's abortion ban, which confers personhood on a fetus. Those who favor personhood argue that fertilised eggs, embryos, and fetuses should be considered people with the same rights as those already born. Georgia state Sen. Ed Setzler, a Republican who sponsored the 2019 law, said he supports Emory's interpretation, stating, "I think it is completely appropriate that the hospital do what they can to save the life of the child."

However, Monica Simpson, executive director of SisterSong, a national activist organisation dedicated to reproductive justice for women of colour, said, "Her family deserved the right to have decision-making power about her medical decisions. Instead, they have endured over 90 days of retraumatisation, expensive medical costs, and the cruelty of being unable to resolve and move toward healing."

The law has been criticised for its potential consequences, including the story of two Georgia women who died after not receiving proper medical treatment for complications from taking abortion pills. The deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller have been cited as examples of the devastating consequences of abortion bans. Democrat Kamala Harris spoke out about the issue, saying that the deaths were the result of the abortion bans that went into effect in Georgia and elsewhere after the Dobbs decision.