A 30-year-old woman in Georgia, USA, Adriana Smith, has been on life support for the past three months after being declared brain dead — a situation complicated by the state’s stringent abortion law.

Smith, who was pronounced brain dead in February following a medical crisis, remains on life support because doctors say they are legally barred from ending treatment due to her ongoing pregnancy.

Her mother, April Newkirk, said that under Georgia's restrictive "heartbeat law" — which bans abortions after cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks — removing life-sustaining care could result in the fetus’s death, which the law seeks to prevent.

Currently 21 weeks into the pregnancy, Smith’s fetus faces uncertain prospects. "He may be blind, may not be able to walk, may not survive once he's born," said Newkirk, voicing fears about her grandson’s future.

The case underscores the legal and ethical complexities of Georgia’s abortion restrictions, which grant fetuses legal personhood. State Senator Ed Setzler, a Republican who authored the 2019 law, supports the hospital’s stance, saying it aligns with the law’s intent to protect fetal life.

However, reproductive justice advocates argue the law strips families of vital medical decision-making rights. Monica Simpson of SisterSong, an organization supporting women of color, said the family has suffered greatly during the three-month ordeal, facing emotional trauma and financial strain while being denied closure, reports NDTV.

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Critics also point to broader consequences of the abortion ban, citing the deaths of Georgia women Amber Thurman and Candi Miller, who suffered fatal complications after taking abortion pills but were reportedly denied adequate care. Vice President Kamala Harris has linked these tragedies to post-Dobbs abortion restrictions in Georgia and other states.