Family honors Adriana Smith one year after death with Atlanta billboard campaign calling for Georgia law reform

ATLANTA — Adriana Smith’s family marked the one‑year anniversary of her death by launching a citywide billboard campaign calling for changes to Georgia law.

Adriana Smith billboard campaign

Ten digital billboards went up across Atlanta on Feb. 9 to honor Smith’s life and highlight the circumstances surrounding her medical emergency, hospitalization and death. Her family said they wanted to ensure her story remained visible and continued to spark public discussion.

Family Marks One Year Since Adriana’s Death

Smith, a 30‑year‑old registered nurse, sought medical care on Feb. 9, 2025, after suffering severe headaches. Her family said she went to Northside Hospital, but doctors sent her home with medication and no diagnostic testing. “They gave her some medication, but they didn’t do any tests. No CT scan,” her mother, April Newkirk, told 11Alive. “If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. It could have been prevented.”

The next morning, Smith’s boyfriend woke to her gasping for air. He believed the sounds came from internal bleeding. Doctors later found blood clots, and they declared Smith brain dead ten days later. She was two months pregnant at the time.

Adriana Smith Billboards Call for Reform

Newkirk announced the billboard campaign on GoFundMe, writing, “February 9th 2026 is one year of the tragic loss of my daughter, Adriana Smith. There will be 10 billboards digital place throughout Atlanta, Georgia, so people don’t forget her.” She added, “Please, please vote so no one else hurts. We need changes with the laws in Georgia.”

The billboards featured Smith’s photo and urged the public to support legal reforms related to medical decision‑making and parental rights.

Case Sparked Debate Over Georgia’s ‘Heartbeat’ Law

Smith’s case drew national attention because she was pregnant when doctors declared her brain dead. Her family said doctors kept her on life support for months due to Georgia’s abortion restrictions, which define cardiac activity as legal personhood. “We didn’t have a choice,” Newkirk said. “The baby was being treated as the patient.”

The situation raised questions about how Georgia’s 2019 “heartbeat” law applies when doctors declare a pregnant patient brain dead.. State officials and lawmakers later acknowledged gaps in the statute.

Family Faced Additional Legal Hurdles

Because Smith and her partner were not married, he went to court and claimed custody of their newborn son, Chance. Georgia law grants automatic parental rights only to married fathers. The case intensified calls for legislative updates.

Doctors delivered Chance by emergency C‑section on June 13, 2025. He weighed 1 pound, 13 ounces.

Family Hopes Awareness Leads to Change

Newkirk said the billboards kept her daughter’s story alive and pushed for reforms that could prevent similar tragedies. “You have no power and it’s just not right,” she said.

The family continues to advocate for clearer medical guidelines, expanded parental rights and stronger patient protections.

GoFundMe campaign

A GoFundMe campaign created by the family when the ordeal first happened continues to accept donations.