A baby was delivered via Cesarean section from a pregnant woman in Georgia who was declared brain dead about four months ago after a medical emergency put her on life support, according to Atlanta TV station WXIA.
The family told WXIA the baby, named Chance, was born prematurely by emergency C-section early Friday morning at Emory University Hospital. He weighs about 1 pound 13 ounces and is in the NICU, reported WXIA.
Chance's grandmother, April Newkirk, told WXIA-TV that Chance is expected to be OK, adding, "He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him."
The baby's mother, Adriana Smith, was declared brain-dead — meaning she was legally dead — in February, but the hospital would not take her off of life support because it would have killed her fetus.
Doing so would have possibly violated Georgia’s so-called “heartbeat law," which bans abortions after cardiac activity can be detected. That is generally around six weeks into pregnancy.
RELATED STORY | Atlanta hospital sued for allegedly losing part of a patient's skull after brain surgery
The law is one of the most restrictive abortion statutes in the country, put in place after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago.
Smith's family told WXIA the medical nightmare began when she began experiencing headaches and sought treatment at Atlanta's Northside Hospital, where she reportedly received medication and was released.
However, the next morning, her boyfriend woke to her gasping for air and called 911. Emory University Hospital later determined that she had blood clots in her brain.
Smith was ultimately declared brain dead on Feb. 19, when she was just eight weeks pregnant, WXIA said.
Her family has told WXIA that the restrictive abortion laws in Georgia robbed them of being able to make medical decisions for their daughter.
Smith's family celebrated her birthday over the weekend, not long after her infant son had been removed from her body. The nurse, who already had a 7-year-old son, would have turned 31, according to WXIA.
Now, her family can finally let her rest in peace, while praying for her infant son's good health. Smith's mother told WXIA she will likely be taken off life support on Tuesday.
