Overview

• Adriana Smith, declared brain dead at nine weeks pregnant in February, remained on mechanical support for more than four months under interpretation of Georgia’s LIFE Act until her son Chance was delivered by C-section on June 13.
• The newborn, Chance, weighed 1 pound 13 ounces and is receiving care in Emory University Hospital’s NICU where his family says he is expected to recover.
• Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr issued a statement saying the LIFE Act does not require continuation of life support for brain-dead pregnant patients.
• Smith’s family and Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley, decried the decision as a violation of personal medical autonomy and portrayed her continued support as treating her body like an incubator.
• The case has driven ethical and legal debates over fetal personhood laws, hospital decision-making authority and families’ rights in end-of-life decisions.