Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and nurse, died due to fatal blood clots but has remained on a ventilator for three months following her brain death. This situation stems from Georgia's abortion laws that prohibit the procedure if fetal heart activity is detected, forcing her family into a painful limbo. Smith's family struggles with emotional and financial burdens, worrying not only about their daughter but also the health of her unborn child, who faces severe medical complications. They express distress over the lack of control over her treatment decisions during this ordeal.
In addition to the emotional anguish her family endures, they also worry about the future. Newkirk reports that her unborn grandson has fluid on his brain, which could lead to long-term medical complications including blindness and the inability to walk and maybe even death.
But the next morning, Smith's boyfriend - who had asked doctors to keep her at the hospital - realized something was wrong: she was gasping for air and gargling what seemed to be blood. At another hospital, the doctors ordered a CT scan and found the fatal blood clots.
'It's torture for me,' Newkirk told 11Alive. 'I come here and I see my daughter breathing on a ventilator, but she's not there.'
'It should have been left up to the family,' Newkirk said, noting that she and her husband are now in the position to help Smith's partner raise her children.
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