In Atlanta, Adriana Smith, a brain-dead pregnant woman, is being kept on life support due to Georgia's strict abortion laws. Doctors are compelled to maintain her pregnancy until the fetus reaches viability, despite her family's anguish.
In a rare and heartbreaking
case, a brain-dead woman in
Atlanta is being kept alive by the doctors, all because she could give birth,
to comply with Georgia's strict abortion laws.Around 90 days have passed since Adriana Smith, a
30-year-old mother and registered nurse, has been declared brain dead but she's
being kept on life support to
keep her baby alive, reported 11Alive. The reason: a state abortion ban
that leaves doctors legally compelled to maintain her pregnancy until the fetus
reaches viability.For April Newkirk, Smith's mother, this is a sheer torture as
she sees her daughter breathing, but 'not there'. Even more heartbreaking is to
see her grandson believe his mother is 'just sleeping'.It all started in early
February when Smith experienced severe headaches at around nine weeks of her
pregnancy. Despite her symptoms, hospital staff failed to perform crucial
tests such as a CT scan, missing early warning signs of a catastrophic event.
“They gave her some
medication, but they didn’t do any tests. No CT scan,” Smith’s mother, April
Newkirk, told 11Alive. “If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would
have caught it. It could have been prevented.”The next morning, Newkirk told 11Alive,
Smith’s boyfriend found her gasping for air in her sleep, making gurgling
noises.
When she was rushed to the
hospital, a CT scan revealed multiple blood clots in her brain. By the time
doctors decided to go into surgery, it was too late, and Smith was declared
brain dead.Under ordinary circumstances, the family might have been able to consider
ending life support. But Georgia’s Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE)
Act, a law prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, except in
narrowly defined medical emergencies, forced doctors to continue life support
until the fetus is viable.
What
is Georgia's Heartbeat
Bill ?
Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill,
passed in 2019 and enforced since July 2022 after the overturn of Roe v. Wade,
bans abortion once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six
weeks gestation. In many cases by this time women don't even realise they are
pregnant. The law allows exceptions only in cases of medical emergency or
fatal fetal abnormalities, but definitions are tight and open to interpretation.
Why
doctors were forced to maintain Adriana's pregnancy
In Adriana's case, doctors
have told the family they must maintain life support because, technically, as
she is brain dead, she is no longer considered 'at risk,' removing the medical
emergency exemption. This legal gray area has left the family and medical
team in limbo.
Risk to unborn child's
safety
Newskirk is now concerned
about her unborn grandson's health and in many cases children born to
brain-dead mothers don't survive. According to National Institutes of Health,
between 1982 and 2010, 30 cases of brain-dead pregnant women maintained on life
support were reported, resulting in only 12 viable infants who survived the
neonatal period.Children born to mothers who are brain dead can face several
health risks, including those related to prematurity, potential complications
from maternal complications like infection, and potential long-term
neurological issues.“She’s pregnant with my grandson. But he may be blind, may
not be able to walk, may not survive once he’s born,” she told the outlet.
“This decision should’ve been left to us. Now we’re left wondering what kind of
life he’ll have — and we’re going to be the ones raising him.”
No comments:
Post a Comment