The mother of a 31-year-old brain-dead pregnant woman who was kept on life support under Georgia’s strict abortion laws has confirmed her baby has been delivered.
Adriana Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, told local outlet 11 Alive the premature baby boy, named Chance, was born by caesarian on June 13 and weighed 0.8kg. He is receiving treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.
"Today I held my grandson. His breathing was better. I did skin to skin. I was so afraid. Chance is 1.2kg," Newkirk shared on July 6, updating the GoFundMe page she set up to help Smith's seven-year-old son.
Smith, an Atlanta nurse, was nine weeks pregnant in February when she complained about headaches. She was given medication but within days she was found unresponsive. In hospital, extensive blood clots were found in her brain and doctors declared her brain-dead.
Despite her condition, doctors treating her decided Georgia law required she be kept on life support to allow the foetus to develop. The hospital said this was in line with the state's "heartbeat" legislation, signed into law in 2019, which bans abortion once cardiac activity is detected, which is typically around six weeks into pregnancy.
A spokesperson for Georgia attorney-general Chris Carr has, however, questioned how Smith's situation was handled. There is nothing in the law that requires medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death, Carr's office told AtlantaNewsFirst.
"Removing life support is not an action "with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy."
A celebration of life for Smith was held on June 28. The GoFundMe fundraiser for her children has raised $488,000 (R8.6m) from more than 13,800 donations.
TimesLIVE
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