Dr. Stroud talks to bioethicist Fr. Ryan McCarthy about the tragic case of Adriana Smith. She was a Georgia woman declared brain dead in February 2025 but controversially kept on life-support while her unborn baby continued to grow until he was able to live outside his mother’s womb. Fr. McCarthy and Dr. Stroud unpack the truth behind the controversy, including what the media narrative gets wrong in the whole discussion.
Dr. Stroud and Fr. McCarthy give a detailed explanation about what “brain death” means, clinically and ethically. Fr. McCarthy describes the criteria that are used by healthcare providers as they decide whether a person has died or not. He also explains why the criteria are considered controversial by some ethicists and whether Adriana Smith fit all of the criteria.
Then they discuss how the presence of a separate, living human person changes the ethical considerations of her case. They talk about whether continued life support is ethically required to continue care for the unborn child and when care becomes “extraordinary” or unnecessary. They consider the tension between patient autonomy and provider duty, especially when the child should also be considered a patient.
Finally the unpack the Georgia personhood law that has been cited in Adriana’s case. They talk about how the law is written, whether it even applies to Adriana Smith specifically, and why so many healthcare providers get personhood laws wrong. They also talk about how Adriana’s family’s own wishes have been misrepresented in the media, and why the media is motivated to be misleading about pro-life cases across the country.