Sometimes you read a story, and the alarm bells immediately go off in your head that something isn't adding up. This writer had that feeling when reading this story out of Georgia.
A hospital is using a breathing tube and other measures to keep a brain-dead Georgia woman's body functioning because she is pregnant. | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/V0RrT3Jwry
— WISN 12 NEWS (@WISN12News) May 16, 2025
A pregnant woman in Georgia was declared brain-dead after a medical emergency and doctors have kept her on life support for three months so far to allow enough time for the baby to be born and comply with Georgia’s strict anti-abortion law, family members say.
She could be kept in that state for months more.
The case is the latest consequence of abortion bans introduced in some states since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago.
Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and nurse, was declared brain-dead — meaning she is legally dead — in February, her mother, April Newkirk, told Atlanta TV station WXIA.
Newkirk said her daughter had intense headaches more than three months ago and went to Atlanta's Northside Hospital, where she received medication and was released. The next morning, her boyfriend woke to her gasping for air and called 911. Emory University Hospital determined she had blood clots in her brain and she was declared brain-dead.
Smith is now 21 weeks pregnant.
But here's the problem. Georgia's anti-abortion law does not prohibit the removal of life support for the mother.
You'll be not shocked to learn this entire media narrative is a lie. We'll bring you some of this thread from Secular Pro-Life:
Smith's family said doctors told them they can't take Smith off life support due to Georgia's abortion law. Media coverage doesn't quote any doctors, attorneys, or any experts involved in either Smith's case or Georgia law generally. 3/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
How convenient.
Georgia law defines abortion as “the act of using, prescribing, or administering any instrument, substance, device, or other means with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy…” Removing life support would not involve “administering” anything. 4/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Exactly this.
And here's the important part:
It's not clear Georgia's abortion law is actually the issue here. It's more likely that Georgia's law regarding withdrawing life support for pregnant patients is the issue. 5/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Ah! There it is. Georgia has a law regarding the withdrawal of life support for pregnant women.
GA Code § 31-32-9 states that doctors can't withdraw life support from pregnant patients unless both (1) the fetus isn't viable and (2) the patient had an advanced directive explicitly stating she wanted withdrawal of life-sustaining measures. 6/ pic.twitter.com/Wbr1XKHY2l
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Smith did not have that advanced directive.
And GA code was enacted in 2007:
Note this code isn't a result of Dobbs. It was enacted 15 years prior, in 2007. Most states have similar measures, including pro-choice states such as Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. (https://t.co/6zswrKsK9L) 7/ pic.twitter.com/jNaxmqKdX9
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Oh, look at that.
Secular Pro-Life then discusses something else: what about what Smith would've wanted?
So far I haven't seen media coverage--or abortion advocates--make any mention of what Smith herself would have wanted. If abortion advocacy were primarily about autonomy, you'd think Smith's likely perspective would be worth at least considering. 8/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Or the father?
I also haven't so far seen any mention of the perspective of Smith's boyfriend, her son's father. 10/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
Even Smith's mother admits the family might not have ended the pregnancy.
There's discussion of Smith's mother's perspective. April Newkirk is upset doctors said it wasn’t the family’s decision to remove life support—though she says they “might not have chosen to end the pregnancy” even if it had been. 11/
— Secular Pro-Life (@secularprolife) May 15, 2025
But, as always, the goal here is not what's best for Smith, her family, or her unborn son. The goal is to undermine Georgia's abortion laws by lying about them.
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