A family of Georgia says that a pregnant woman who is brain dead is kept alive for ventilation devices until the fetus grows enough to deliver safely. They say that the hospital does not allow them to take the woman from life maintenance due to the strict abortion law in Georgia.
What is the law of Georgia?
Brian Kemp, the Republican governor of Georgia, signed the lively fairness and equality or life in 2019 in the law. However, it immediately faced a legal contestation and only came into force in 2022 when the Supreme Court of Roe v. Wade up.
According to the so -called “Heart Beat Act”, abortions in Georgia are illegal after six weeks of pregnancy, because then a fetal heartbeat can be determined.
There are some exceptions from the law as it is necessary to protect the life and health of women or when fetal anomalies are found. Abortion after six weeks of pregnancy is also permitted for rape and incest that were documented with the police.
What happens in this case?
The family of 30-year-old Adriana Smith said she was declared brainod in February.
According to her family, Smith went to a hospital in the Atlanta region with a headache and received medication before she was released. The next day, her friend woke up for air and called 911.
Smith was brought to the Emory University Hospital, where a CT scan showed that she had blood clots in her brain and she was declared brain dead.
Since then Smith has supported life.
Smith is currently 21 weeks pregnant and sets her due date even more than three months away. The hospital told Smith's family that the acceptance of her life support would probably kill the fetus, which makes him illegal after Georgia Law.
Hospital officers said Smith had to think for life support until the fetus can survive alone with around 32 weeks.
What does Smith's family say?
Smith's mother, April Newkirk, told a news station in Atlanta, the doctors informed the family that they are legally not allowed to consider any other options.
“It should have been left to the family,” said Newkirk. “I don't say that we decided to end their pregnancy, but I say we should have a choice.”
Newkirk said that the family was also forced to bear the financial burden, to keep Smith in terms of life.
Doctors say the fetus has liquid in the brain and, according to Newkirk, they are concerned about his health.
“He can be blind, may not run, cannot survive if he was born,” said Newkirk.
What does the hospital say?
A spokesman for Emory Healthcare said that she used “consensus from clinical experts, medical literature and legal instructions to support our providers, since they submit individual treatment recommendations into harmony with the abortion laws and all other applicable laws in Georgia.”
Jack Henry (video editor)
contributed to this report.
