What to know about brain-dead Georgia woman reportedly being kept on life support because she's pregnant
For example, writer and activist Jessica Valenti posted a video discussing the situation on her X account (archived):
https://x.com/JessicaValenti/status/1922759344875028690
"If you have the capacity for pregnancy, you are not a person to them," Valenti said in the video. "You are a vessel, you are an incubator, but you are most certainly not a human being, because you don't treat human beings like this."
The post had reached 168,100 views and 1,800 likes as of this writing. The claim further spread on X, where one post garnered 2.8 million views (archived), on TikTok and on Reddit. Further, Snopes readers searched the site seeking to confirm the veracity of the rumor.
Indeed, Snopes was able to determine that several reputable news sources had reported on the story, including The Associated Press, NBC News and local NBC affiliate 11Alive-WXIA. Snopes attempted to contact April Newkirk, the woman in question's mother and the source of the details reported in those outlets, to confirm the story, and we will update this article should she respond.
According to these reports, Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old nurse and mother of one, was nine weeks pregnant when she died in February. She went to Northside Hospital seeking treatment following "intense headaches," Newkirk told WXIA. Newkirk said the doctors there did not do tests and sent her home with medication. The next day, her boyfriend called 911 after he noticed her struggling to breathe, and Smith was admitted to Emory University Hospital, where she worked. There, doctors identified blood clots in her brain on a CT scan and declared her brain-dead, which constitutes legal death in all 50 states.
However, due to Georgia's ban on abortion, effective from the moment a fetus' heartbeat is detectable, doctors reportedly told Smith's family they would not turn off the machines that are keeping her body functionally alive. Indeed, a fetus' heartbeat is generally detectable at six weeks of pregnancy.
Smith was 21 weeks pregnant the week of May 12, 2025, according to her mother. Doctors hoped to take the pregnancy to 32 weeks to increase the fetus' chances of survival. She was moved to Emory Decatur Hospital, which had better obstetric care. We have reached out to the hospital for more details and will update the story should we receive an answer.
However, Newkirk said the doctors told her the fetus, which is male, had fluid around its brain, though it was not clear how much, and that they were concerned about its health. Further, the financial cost of Smith's long-term hospital stay was also a concern for her family.
Alcorn, Cody. "Family Says Woman Declared Brain Dead but Her Pregnancy Continues under State Law." 11Alive.com, WXIA, 13 May 2025, www.11alive.com/article/news/local/family-claims-atlanta-nurse-declared-brain-dead-kept-alive-pregnancy/85-eac5257d-a329-4dd7-b80f-5c0ecd30225a. Accessed 16 May 2025.
Amy, Jeff, et al. "Georgia's Anti-Abortion Law Keeps Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Adriana Smith on Life Support." AP News, 15 May 2025, apnews.com/article/pregnant-woman-brain-dead-abortion-ban-georgia-a85a5906e5b2c4889525f2300c441745. Accessed 16 May 2025.
Burke, Minyvonne. "Georgia Mother Says She Is Being Forced to Keep Brain-Dead Pregnant Daughter Alive under Abortion Ban Law." NBC News, 15 May 2025, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/family-forced-keep-brain-dead-pregnant-woman-alive-rcna207002. Accessed 16 May 2025.
"House Bill 481." Ga.gov, 2019, www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20192020/187013. Accessed 16 May 2025.
"Maternity Center | Emory Decatur Hospital." Https://Www.emoryhealthcare.org/Centers-Programs/Maternity-Center/Maternity-Center-Decatur, 2025, www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/maternity-center. Accessed 16 May 2025.
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