Life is messy. Sometimes it’s so complicated and heartbreaking that it doesn’t even seem real, but for the family of Adriana Smith, the nightmare was very much a reality. You might have seen the name Baby Chance floating around on social media or in news snippets over the last year. It’s a story that basically sits at the intersection of medical tragedy, intense legal debate, and a grandmother's sheer will to keep a tiny baby fighting.
Honestly, it’s a lot to process.
Who is Baby Chance?
In June 2025, a tiny baby boy named Chance was born at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. He weighed only 1 pound, 13 ounces. That’s about the size of a large loaf of bread. But the circumstances of his birth were anything but ordinary. His mother, Adriana Smith, was a 31-year-old registered nurse—someone who spent her life caring for others—when she suffered a catastrophic medical emergency.
In February 2025, while she was only about eight or nine weeks pregnant, Adriana was declared brain dead. She had suffered severe blood clots in her brain. Normally, when someone is declared brain dead, life support is removed shortly after. But because she was carrying Baby Chance, her body was kept alive for four months.
Four months.
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Imagine seeing your daughter breathing on a machine, her heart beating, but knowing she’s gone. Her mother, April Newkirk, described it as "torture." The family wanted to be the ones to decide what happened next, but they felt their hands were tied by Georgia’s strict "heartbeat law" (the LIFE Act).
The Legal Tug-of-War
This is where things get really heavy. The doctors told the family they had to keep Adriana on life support until the baby reached "viability." Under Georgia law, once a fetal heartbeat is detected (usually around six weeks), abortion is heavily restricted.
There’s a lot of finger-pointing here. The hospital felt they couldn't legally turn off the machines. Meanwhile, the Georgia Attorney General’s office later said that the law doesn't actually require keeping a brain-dead woman on life support. It’s a classic case of legal gray areas where real people get caught in the middle.
How is Baby Chance Doing Now?
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. Baby Chance is still in the fight of his life. He spent over six months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). By December 2025, he had grown to 11 pounds, which is a huge milestone for a baby born that small.
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But it’s not all good news.
His grandmother, April, has been vocal on GoFundMe about the struggles. His lungs are severely underdeveloped—a common issue for "micro-preemies" born at 25 weeks. He’s had to be moved to different hospitals for specialized care. He hasn't gone home yet. He’s missing the woman who should be holding him, and his older brother, Chase, has had to grow up way too fast.
The Custody Battle Nobody Saw Coming
As if the medical and legal drama wasn't enough, there was a quiet battle for Baby Chance himself. After Adriana passed away (she was removed from life support on June 17, 2025, days after the birth), the baby’s father, Adrian Harden, had to go to court.
Even with a DNA test, he had to sue posthumously to establish parental rights so the state wouldn't put Chance in foster care. In December 2025, a judge finally gave him sole legal custody. It’s just another layer of stress for a family that’s already been through a literal hell.
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Why This Story Matters
People get caught up in the politics of abortion laws or the ethics of brain death. But when you look at Baby Chance, you see the human cost. You see a grandmother who is "very down" during the holidays because her grandson is in a plastic box in a hospital instead of under a tree.
You see the medical debt, too. Keeping a body alive for four months and then a baby in the NICU for half a year costs millions. The family is basically facing a mountain of bills while grieving a daughter who was a frontline healthcare worker herself.
Key Facts to Remember:
- Adriana Smith was a nurse in Atlanta.
- She was declared brain dead in February 2025.
- Baby Chance was born via emergency C-section on June 13, 2025.
- He weighed 1 lb 13 oz at birth.
- As of early 2026, he remains in specialized care with lung issues.
- The case sparked national debate over Georgia's House Bill 481.
It's a story with no easy answers. Some see Chance as a miracle; others see the process of his birth as a violation of his mother's dignity. What we do know is that a little boy is fighting every day to take his next breath.
Next Steps for Readers:
If you want to follow the family's journey, the most reliable updates come directly from April Newkirk's verified GoFundMe page, which helps cover the specialized medical care Chance requires. Additionally, legal advocates are currently using Adriana’s case to push for clearer "Advanced Directive" laws in Georgia to ensure families—not the state—have the final say in end-of-life care for pregnant women.