LITHONIA, Ga. — On Saturday, a grieving Georgian family bid farewell to Adriana Monet Smith, the young nurse and mother who remained on life support for several months to ensure the safe delivery of her unborn child.

Smith was declared brain-dead in February when she was eight weeks pregnant, but doctors kept her on life support until June, enabling them to perform an emergency C-section to deliver her son. Shortly afterward, she was taken off life support. Her newborn son, named Chance, is still being cared for in the NICU.

The funeral service held at Fairfield Baptist Church in Lithonia on Saturday attracted family, friends, community members, lawmakers, and nurses, all coming together to remember and celebrate Smith’s life and legacy.

Among the most emotional moments came from Smith’s younger sister, Naya.

“I’m thankful for everything that she’s taught me—her love, her kindness, her wisdom,” Naya said. “Family meant everything to her. So I hope that I can follow in her footsteps.”

A former nursing school classmate shared a cherished memory from their time at Georgia State University.

“She brought Chase, I brought my son… We sat in that room, stressing out over a med surge exam,” she said. “And we promised each other if we ever became teachers, we would never torture our students this way.”

Shirley Ware, founder of the Sisters of Strength Empowerment Group, addressed the crowd as well. “On June 16th, we will always honor her. We’re gonna keep her memory alive,” she said.

A member from the Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard group followed with a poem titled “A Light That Still Shines,” calling Adriana “a sister of strength who’ll never die.”

As part of a final tribute, the Atlanta Metropolitan Nursing Honor Guard stepped forward to relieve Smith of her duties as a nurse. A member of the guard recited the traditional “final call of duty” in her honor, ringing a bell. 

Minister Ron Brown, a longtime counselor to the Newkirk family, delivered the eulogy. He recalled how Smith had once declared during a teen session that she wanted to become a nurse, and followed through.

“She became that nurse,” he said. “It wasn’t just about ‘I’m gonna talk about it.’ It was about ‘I’m gonna be about it.’”

Brown reflected on the pain of loss and the resilience of faith.

“When you do these eulogies… it’s not the hooping, it’s not the hollering… it’s about the family,” he said. “You have to give them something to hold on to.”

He closed with Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Adriana Smith’s life and tragic passing have become a rallying point for advocates and lawmakers who say Georgia’s current abortion law doesn’t go far enough in protecting patient rights.

The state’s LIFE Act, which bans most abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected — typically around six weeks — does not clearly address what should happen in cases where a pregnant person is declared brain dead.

Legal experts say the law’s vague language left hospitals and families like Smith’s navigating painful decisions without clear medical or legal direction.

Evangelist Triana Arnold James addressed the legal gray area directly during Saturday’s service, pledging that Smith’s story would be a catalyst for change.

“I want to encourage you and let you know that we love you… Adriana’s life mattered and we’re gonna make sure… from this house to the state house to Washington D.C. that Adriana’s voice will be heard,” she said.

State Rep. Park Cannon followed with a formal Georgia House Resolution honoring Smith’s life, career and advocacy. She also voiced support for future legislation in her name.

“We believe bodily autonomy should be upheld in Georgia by enacting Adriana’s Law,” Cannon said. “Which would affirm that individuals retain agency over their bodies and medical decisions even under restrictive fetal personhood regimes.”

The proposed law would ensure that a person’s end-of-life directives are honored, even if they are pregnant—something the current Georgia code does not explicitly guarantee.

In a prior statement to 11Alive, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office noted that the LIFE Act does not require doctors to continue life support for someone declared brain dead. But supporters of Adriana’s Law say more clarity is urgently needed.

Organizations including Amplify Georgia, SisterSong, and the Georgia chapter of the National Organization for Women have also pledged to carry Adriana’s story forward, calling for policy change that centers patient autonomy and family choice.

Smith’s second son, Chance, was delivered on June 13, nearly four months after she was declared brain-dead. He weighed just 1 pound, 13 ounces and remains in neonatal care.

Her family has launched an online fundraiser to help care for both Chance and Smith’s older son, 7-year-old Chase.

As mourners exited the church on Saturday, many carried white roses—a final tribute to a nurse, mother, daughter and friend who had given selflessly even in death.