Family members of Adriana Smith, a brain-dead woman in Georgia, say their choice to end Smith’s life support has been out of reach for three months and counting because she is pregnant — and doctors in the state are legally obligated to try to deliver a baby that can survive outside the womb.
Georgia is one of several states with extreme health care laws on the books that make it illegal to end a pregnancy in nearly all cases.
Smith’s mother, April Newkirk, described her daughter’s condition this week to Atlanta news station 11Alive as their medical bills stack up while they are unable to fully mourn their loss.
“She’s been breathing through machines for more than 90 days,” Newkirk told the outlet. “It’s torture for me. I see my daughter breathing, but she’s not there. And her son, I bring him to see her.”
The family comes to visit daily, the outlet reported, adding that Smith’s young son has been told his mother is sleeping.
