The bereaved mother has previously been vocal regarding the decision to keep her child alive throughout her pregnancy, remarking it was ‘torture’ to watch her suffer.
“She’s been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,” she once explained.
“It’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there. And her son — I bring him to see her.”
Why was Adriana Smith kept alive?
The Life Act, ushered in following the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, states that ‘no abortion shall be performed’ in the state of Georgia six weeks after gestation.
The legislation only becomes void if the pregnant woman suffers ‘a medical emergency or medically futile pregnancy’.
Despite suffering her own medical emergency, doctors at Emory University Hospital believed switching off Smith’s life support would violate these laws.
They therefore kept the woman alive until her baby was born, causing experts and Smiths’ family to debate the ethical implications of the heartbeat bill.
“I want them to know that this didn’t have to happen,” said Newkirk of the medical experts’ decision.“I want them to know that the law needs to be changed. It doesn’t need to be altered. It doesn’t need to be in effect at all. Women have rights; it’s their body, » she added.
Previously, Emory Healthcare has said that its staff makes medical recommendations for patients using many factors.
“The top priorities at Emory Healthcare continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients and families we serve,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
