End-of-life options supporters across the nation know how critical it is for people to have the right to make their own end-of-life care decisions. That right is under threat in Georgia, where a woman who has been declared dead for over 90 days is still being kept on life support — solely because she was nine weeks pregnant at the time of her death. The hospital currently wants to keep her body artificially alive for another 90 days, until the fetus is at 32-weeks gestation because of their interpretation of Georgia’s abortion law.

Adriana Smith’s family is living through an unimaginable ordeal. Despite Georgia law clearly recognizing brain death as legal death, they are being forced to maintain invasive medical interventions against their daughter’s and their own wishes. Her mother, April Newkirk, is pleading for the right to honor Adriana’s values and respect her end-of-life wishes.

Denying anyone the ability to make end-of-life healthcare decisions consistent with their deeply held beliefs undermines the most fundamental principles of bodily autonomy and compassion.

This case echoes the experience of Marlise Muñoz in Texas, whose family was similarly forced to keep her on life support against her expressed values. Ms. Muñoz was just 14-weeks pregnant when she suffered a pulmonary embolism and was declared dead. In that case, a court ruled that pregnancy restrictions did not apply to someone who had died. The same must hold true for Adriana Smith.

This is about more than one case. It’s about the fundamental right of every person — especially pregnant people — to make decisions about their own bodies, even at the end of life.

Compassion & Choices has helped lead the way in defending these rights. In 2018, we joined  If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and Legal Voice in a landmark federal case, Almerico v. Denney, where a judge ruled that a law that could have restricted end-of-life care for pregnant people was unconstitutional. The court emphasized that such end-of-life care decisions must remain with the individual and their loved ones — and not be categorically overridden by the state.

Adriana Smith’s mother must be allowed to make this decision consistent with what her daughter would have wanted — without governmental interference.

As supporters of this movement, you understand that honoring end-of-life wishes is a matter of compassion, justice, and dignity. We will continue fighting to ensure no one is denied the right to die as they would choose.

Thank you for standing with us in this important work.

Donor and Supporter Privacy Policy — Contact
Texting Privacy Policy
Media Contacts
It's Not Assisted Suicide