Remember the story of the American woman kept in a coma after death to prevent terminating her pregnancy? A year has passed: what is happening with the child now?
Some consider the story of Adriana Smith one of the most unethical medical experiments in modern history, while others see it as proof of scientific and technological progress. Her son recently turned one year old – and his grandmother showed photos of Chance.
Adriana Smith. All photos from gofundme.com
A reminder: Adriana Smith was 30 years old, lived in Atlanta (Georgia, USA), worked as a nurse, and had a 7-year-old son. Last January, the young woman (who was 9 weeks pregnant at the time) suffered from a headache. Adriana sought medical help – at the hospital, she was prescribed medication and sent home.
Adriana with her first son
But the next morning, her partner woke up to Adriana gasping for breath. He called an ambulance, but medics could not save the woman – a blood clot. Doctors at the hospital declared her brain dead.
And here arose a great dilemma about what to do next. Because an embryo remained inside Adriana's body. And in the state of Georgia, strict anti-abortion laws are in effect.
Adriana's mother, April Newkirk, told the media that the family was not allowed to make a decision. The relatives believed that it would be more correct to disconnect the body from all machines. The parents wanted to bury their daughter peacefully.
However, the medics decided to artificially maintain the body's processes to avoid terminating the pregnancy. This caused a lot of outrage worldwide: people said it was unethical to use a deceased woman's body as an incubator.
Last year, Adriana's case became the main topic of discussion on ethics in the medical community.
Moreover, the Smith family was expected to pay for the medical services. A fundraiser was announced, which continues today – over 620,000 dollars have been raised (it is stated that 660,000 are needed).
Chance with his grandmother April
Medics planned to perform a C-section in August, but it was not possible to wait that long. An emergency operation had to be performed on June 13, 2025. The little boy (who weighed about 800 grams) was named Chance.
A few days later, on June 19, the woman was finally disconnected from all machines.
It was officially reported that the baby's life was not in danger. But in reality, the situation was quite complicated. Chance was only able to go home this February – even then, he was still receiving oxygen through a special tube.
Chance
On the anniversary of the tragedy, Adriana's family ordered 10 billboards with her photo and the caption: "Justice for Adriana Smith," to recall the tragic story and achieve changes in Georgia's laws.
Chance's grandmother periodically posts his photos in the comments to the charity fundraiser. Recently, she shared a photo of her grandson, who turned one year old. April wrote that she loves this little one very much. And she boasted that he already has two teeth.
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