The family of Adriana Smith — the pregnant woman kept on life support so she could give birth — has shared an emotional update about her baby. Adriana, 31, a nurse and mother of a seven-year-old, was admitted to the hospital in February 2025 after a severe headache and was later found unresponsive. By May, she was declared brain-dead.
Because she was nine weeks pregnant, Georgia’s “heartbeat law” required that she remain on life support to try to save the baby. In June, a month after Adriana was declared brain-dead, her son Chance was delivered prematurely by C-section, weighing just 1lb 13oz. Adriana was removed from life support shortly after and passed away.
Chance has spent months in the NICU due to severe prematurity and underdeveloped lungs. In a recent update, Adriana’s mother said he now weighs 11 pounds but still isn’t ready to come home, asking for continued prayers and support.
The case has reignited debate over Georgia’s abortion laws, which limit termination except in life-saving circumstances or when the fetus is not expected to survive.