ATLANTA — A little more than a week ago, Georgia made international news when reports were first shared about a 30-year-old pregnant woman who her family said was being kept on life support to comply with the state’s abortion law.

Since then, there’s been an outpouring of support for Adriana Smith from across the state and country, with vigils being planned and online fundraisers being held in her name.

Now the family has clarified they intend to keep her on life support until the baby is born.

Smith, a registered nurse and mother of one, was declared brain-dead in February and placed on life support. The day she went to the hospital, her boyfriend found her gasping for air and making gargling sounds in her sleep, according to 11Alive, which first reported the news.

April Newkirk, Smith’s mother, told the television station that Smith was nine weeks pregnant at the time. Although she is legally dead, Smith has remained on life support since to facilitate the growth of the fetus, which is now about 22 weeks into gestation.

Newkirk originally told 11Alive last week that doctors said Smith had to remain on life support because of Georgia’s abortion laws. In a second 11Alive interview that aired on Monday, Newkirk clarified that the family only considered terminating the pregnancy if it would have saved Smith’s life. Doctors told her it would not, so Smith remained on life support to allow her body to continue to grow the fetus, whom the family has named Chance.

Newkirk has declined requests to be interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Right now, the journey is for baby Chance to survive — and whatever condition God allows him to come here in, we’re going to love him just the same,” she told 11Alive on Monday.

Since news of Smith’s situation made its way to national and then international news, groups on both sides of the abortion debate have taken steps to raise awareness about Georgia’s laws and, in some instances, raise money for the family.

Newkirk had expressed concern over the expense of keeping her daughter on life support until at least early August, when doctors plan to perform a cesarean section. It’s also unknown if her grandson will be born with any disabilities, so money raised would also be used for his care.

This week, Students for Life announced its goal to raise $100,000 for the family to cover medical expenses. Kristan Hawkins, president of the Virginia-based organization, said news of Smith’s condition and her family’s concern about medical costs gave Students for Life an opportunity to put their “thoughts into action.”

“It’s really important for us as a movement, when these tragedies happen, to show America what it is that the pro-life movement is about, and it’s about protecting both the child and the mother from the violence of abortion,” Hawkins said.

They plan to make a direct donation to the hospital to pay for Smith’s care and any care her son may need after birth.

Newkirk started her own online fundraiser, which by Thursday had raised $105,000 of its $250,000 goal since it was created a week ago.

Abortion rights activists say they are waiting until they can speak with Smith’s family to determine how best to help before launching any efforts, such as a fundraiser.

In the meantime, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, an abortion rights group, plans to build a “Trust Black Women” altar in Smith’s honor.

Smith had gone to a different hospital the day before, complaining of severe headaches. Newkirk said her daughter was sent home with medication, according to 11Alive.

“Today, we speak Adriana Smith’s name with reverence and with rage,” said Danielle Rodriguez, Georgia program coordinator at SisterSong. “Adriana was a mother, a daughter, a nurse, a Black woman who understood her body and tried to save her own life. Her voice was not enough, her knowledge was not enough, her humanity was not enough.”

Georgia law bans most abortions after medical professionals can detect fetal cardiac activity, which is typically around six weeks of pregnancy and before many know they are pregnant. Later abortions are allowed in limited cases, such as if there is a fetal abnormality or if the life of the mother is at risk. There also are exceptions in instances of rape or incest when a police report has been filed.

For years, abortion rights advocates and providers have said Georgia’s law is unclear because much of the language used is not in medical terms. For example, the law says abortions may occur if the mother is experiencing a “medical emergency,” but doctors say that’s difficult to interpret because there is no bright line between a person being fine and at risk of death.

In a statement, hospital representatives said federal privacy laws block them from commenting about individual patients.

“Emory Healthcare uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws and all other applicable laws,” the hospital said in the statement. “Our top priorities continue to be the safety and well-being of the patients we serve.”

A statement from Attorney General Chris Carr’s office said the abortion law does not require Emory Hospital to keep Smith’s body alive.

“There is nothing in the (abortion law) that requires medical professionals to keep a woman on life support after brain death. Removing life support is not an action with the purpose to terminate a pregnancy,” Carr’s spokesperson, Kara Murray, said in the statement.

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