Unfiltered Weekly 6-29-25
- Johnette Cruz
- Jun 29
- 3 min read
Your weekly wrap-up on all things society, culture, and lifestyle news with trending stories and more.
I typically do a collection of news and things trending from the week but this week is different. I wanted to do a deeper dive on a story that has captured the attention of so many. The Story of Adriana Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old registered nurse and mother of one, who was declared brain dead in February 2025 after suffering severe blood clots in her brain. At the time, she was eight weeks pregnant.
Smith was kept on life support for months, against her family's wishes, due to doctors' concerns about Georgia's Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act. This law, enacted in 2022 after Roe v. Wade was overturned, bans most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy, and grants personhood rights to a fetus. Doctors reportedly told Smith's family that because she was brain dead and no longer considered to be in a "medical emergency" that threatened her own life, the law required them to maintain life support until the fetus could be delivered.
However, the Georgia Attorney General's Office later clarified that the LIFE Act does not require medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death, stating that "Removing life support is not an action 'with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy.'" Despite this, the hospital where Smith was treated, Emory University Hospital, did not publicly comment on the attorney general's statement. Some legal experts suggest that Georgia's Advance Directive for Health Care Act, which has a "pregnancy exclusion" prioritizing the survival of an unborn child in certain circumstances, might have played a role in the hospital's decision.
What the law says in Georgia about abortions:
Georgia's LIFE Act prohibits abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is generally around six weeks of pregnancy. The law provides narrow exceptions for rape, incest (if a police report has been filed), severe fetal abnormalities, or if a "medical emergency" threatens the life or substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.
What her family said about this:
Adriana Smith's family, particularly her mother, April Newkirk, expressed immense heartbreak and frustration over the situation. Newkirk described the experience as "torture," stating, "I see my daughter breathing, but she's not there." She emphasized that while they don't know if they would have chosen to terminate the pregnancy, they should have been given the choice. Newkirk firmly believes that "all women should have a choice about their body." The family rallied for "Adriana's Law" to ensure individuals retain agency over their medical decisions, even when pregnant.
Funeral and baby's latest:
Adriana Smith's baby, a boy named Chance, was delivered on June 13, 2025, weighing 1 pound and 13 ounces. Smith was taken off life support four days later, on June 17, 2025. Her funeral was held on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Fairfield Baptist Church just outside Atlanta. Hundreds of mourners attended, and the service was livestreamed. Loved ones, including her younger sister, spoke at the service, praising Smith's "love, kindness and wisdom." The Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard also paid tribute to Smith, a registered nurse.
SOURCES:
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Cheers!
J
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