Adriana Smith, the Atlanta nurse who was declared brain-dead but kept on life support due to Georgia’s strict abortion law, has been laid to rest, drawing national attention to the human impact of fetal personhood legislation.
Smith, a 31-year-old mother of two, suffered a catastrophic stroke in February and was declared brain-dead at just eight weeks pregnant. Due to Georgia’s LIFE Act—which grants legal rights to a fetus once cardiac activity is detected—her family was told she had to remain on life support until doctors could deliver her baby via emergency C-section. Her son, Chance, was born prematurely earlier this month, weighing just 1 pound 13 ounces. He remains in neonatal intensive care.
Smith’s funeral was held Saturday at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia, just outside of Atlanta. Loved ones, friends, and community leaders gathered to mourn her passing and call for change in her name.
“Adriana’s life mattered,” said Evangelist Triana Arnold James during the service. “And we’re going to make sure her voice is heard—from this house to the state house to Washington, D.C.”
State Representative Park Cannon, a Democrat, voiced support for legislation that could come to be known as “Adriana’s Law,” which would seek to affirm bodily autonomy and protect medical decision-making rights, even under fetal personhood laws. “We believe bodily autonomy should be upheld in Georgia by enacting Adriana’s Law,” Cannon said.
Smith’s sister, Naya, remembered her for her compassion, wisdom, and kindness. The Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard paid tribute by formally relieving Smith of her nursing duties in a ceremonial “final call of duty.”
Smith’s death has sparked intense discussion about Georgia’s abortion restrictions, particularly the state’s LIFE Act. The law bans most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy—before many women know they are pregnant—and defines a fetus with detectable cardiac activity as a person with full legal rights.
The law does not clearly address brain death or the legal standing of a brain-dead pregnant woman, leaving Smith’s family trapped in a legal and medical limbo.
“I’m not saying we would have chosen to terminate her pregnancy,” said Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, in an earlier interview with 11Alive. “But I’m saying we should have had a choice.”
Newkirk reiterated her belief in reproductive rights after Chance was born. “I think all women should have a choice about their body. And I think I want people to know that.”
Smith turned 31 while still on life support. Her family gathered on June 15 to celebrate her birthday, a few days before life support was withdrawn.
Smith’s case has become a flashpoint in the broader national debate over abortion and fetal rights, highlighting the emotional, ethical, and legal complexities families face under strict abortion laws passed in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
