Georgia’s Abortion Ban:

The Adriana Smith Case

Lula Korntheuer, Staff Reporter

October 16, 2025

Georgia’s Abortion Ban: The Adriana Smith Case

Abortion is one of the most controversial topics in the United States. This article will explore what abortion is, how abortion laws affect people, and specifically examine Georgia’s abortion ban through the experience of Adriana Smith and her family.

This map of the U.S. and its surrounding territories/islands is color-coded based off of the restrictions regarding abortions in that specific area. The majority of the states within the U.S. are protected or abortion is entirely illegal. (Image taken from Center for Reproductive Rights)

Abortions and Why They Happen:

An abortion is a medical procedure used to safely end a woman’s pregnancy. The two kinds of abortions are medicated abortions and procedural abortions. A miscarriage is entirely different from an abortion; spontaneous abortions are also known as miscarriages. There are many reasons why a person might get an abortion. They might not be able to financially or emotionally support another person, they might have gotten pregnant under bad circumstances, or having a baby might just not be what’s best for them at that time.

This map is a more specific and detailed version of the one above; it shows the week-related abortion access for all 50 states. The majority of the U.S. states allow abortions up to 19 weeks, followed closely by the ‘Up to 6 weeks’ ban. (Image found off Google)

Laws Regarding/Surrounding Abortions:

Abortions are legal (with certain restrictions) in all but 12 states (Idaho, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana). There are many details and restrictions when it comes to abortion laws in each state. In some states, abortion is entirely illegal; in others, abortions have been criminalized or made hostile. (Hostile means there is a total ban, but it hasn’t been criminalized yet.) In Georgia, an abortion becomes banned when a woman is 6 or more weeks pregnant. An abortion in this state is legal if it is necessary to save the pregnant person’s life, to preserve their physical health, or if the fetus is not expected to survive the pregnancy. If a woman or person is under 18, they might need a parent’s permission to continue with the abortion.

Adriana Monet Smith is one of two focuses of this article. She was a 30-year-old woman, declared brain-dead, and kept as a ‘human incubator’ for 4 months until her son Chance was born. (Image taken from Google)

Adriana Smith: Her Struggles & Death

The Adriana Smith case was an occurrence that shook people everywhere. A 30-year-old nurse, daughter, sister, and soon-to-be mother of two went into a hospital because she was suffering from severe headaches on February 19th, 2025. She appeared to have brain bleeds but was not given a “full-neurological workup” during that visit. She went home and was later found struggling to breathe, which caused her to be admitted to the hospital where she worked. A CT scan later revealed blood clots throughout her brain. She got worse as the day progressed and was finally declared brain dead. This counts as legal death in all 50 states. However, she was kept on life support for about 4 months because of Georgia’s abortion laws. Her second son, Chance, was born prematurely at 1 pound and 13 ounces on June 13th, 2025. Soon after his birth, his mother, 31 years old, was taken off life support on June 17th, 2025. Her funeral, held on June 28th, 2025, was organized by her family, including her mother, father, and younger sister.

How the Ban on Abortions is Affecting People

Abortion bans across the United States, and specifically in Georgia, are having a significant impact on families. These laws can put pregnant people at risk of serious health complications or even death by limiting access to safe medical care. Also, they force some families to continue pregnancies that they are unable to support financially, emotionally, or otherwise. As a result, abortion bans can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, higher rates of maternal or infant mortality, and significant travel expenses for those seeking care out of state. The effects observed in Georgia reflect the broader consequences of such bans nationwide.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Georgia’s abortion ban, as seen through the case of Adriana Smith, highlights the complex and deeply personal impacts that such legislation can have on individuals and families. While the debate over abortion remains contentious, it is clear that these laws affect not just those directly involved but entire communities. Understanding the real-life consequences is essential for informed discussion and policy-making around this critical issue.

Works Cited:

Abortion in Georgia. (2025). AbortionFinder. https://www.abortionfinder.org/abortion-guides-by-state/abortion-in-georgia
Abortion. (2025, August 4) MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/abortion.html
After Roe Fell: Abortion Laws by State (n.d). Center for Reproductive Rights. https://reproductiverights.org/maps/abortion-laws-by-state/
Burke, M. (2025, June 17) Baby of brain-dead pregnant woman kept alive under abortion law has been delivered, family says. NBC NEWS. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baby-brain-dead-pregnant-woman-kept-alive-abortion-law-delivered-famil-rcna213558
Caplan, A. (2025, May 22). The Adriana Smith Case Unfolding in Atlanta Raises Many Questions. Bioethic today. https://bioethicstoday.org/blog/the-adriana-smith-case-unfolding-in-atlanta-raises-many-questions/
Rascouët-Paz, A. (June 19th, 2025) What to know about brain-dead Georgia woman reportedly being kept on life support because she’s pregnant. Snopes. https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/05/16/brain-dead-woman-georgia-pregnant/
Thigpen, M. (2025, June 28). Mourners Attend Adriana Smith’s Funeral and Call Out Georgia Abortion Ban. Capital B News. https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/adriana-smith-funeral

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