Funeral Held for Adriana Smith, Georgia Nurse Kept on Life Support Under State’s Abortion Law
Lithonia, Georgia — On Saturday, Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old Atlanta nurse who was pronounced brain dead in February at the age of eight weeks, was buried at Fairfield Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia. The LIFE Act, Georgia’s restrictive abortion law, forced Smith’s family to keep her on life support for more than four months until medical professionals could perform an emergency cesarean section to deliver her baby.
Smith suffered a catastrophic stroke caused by multiple blood clots in her brain and was pronounced brain-dead shortly thereafter. Despite her condition, the hospital maintained life support because Georgia law prohibits abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy when fetal cardiac activity is detected. The law’s vague language left Smith’s family navigating complex legal and medical challenges during an emotionally devastating time
Her son, Chance, was born prematurely on June 13, weighing just 1 pound 13 ounces. He remains in the neonatal intensive care unit but is reported to be fighting and expected to survive. Four days after the birth, Smith was taken off life support and passed away
The funeral brought together family, friends, healthcare colleagues, and community members. The Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard paid tribute to Smith’s dedication as a nurse, and attendees carried white roses in her memory. Her younger sister, Naya, spoke movingly about Adriana’s kindness, wisdom, and the legacy she leaves behind
Advocates and public figures at the service emphasized the broader implications of Smith’s case, which has become a focal point in the debate over abortion laws and fetal personhood. Evangelist Triana Arnold James vowed that Adriana’s voice “will be heard” from the local community to the halls of government. Democratic State Representative Park Cannon called for the passage of “Adriana’s Law,” legislation intended to affirm bodily autonomy and protect medical decision-making rights under restrictive fetal personhood regimes
Smith’s heartbreaking case has garnered national and worldwide attention, bringing to light the moral conundrums and human costs associated with stringent abortion restrictions. It has sparked demands for more precise legal requirements and changes to stop families from being put in such traumatic circumstances again.
Chance, Adriana Smith’s infant son, and Chase, her older son, are her surviving children. Her life and death have spurred vital discussions about reproductive rights and medical ethics in Georgia and beyond. Her family and community remember her as a brave woman, a dedicated nurse, and a loving mother.