Adrian
Parenthood can be beautiful and hard at the same time for Adrian and her partner who feel rushed to make a very important decision...
Adrian's Journey
Adrian lives a pleasant life with her family of three including herself, her son and her partner.
Then, everything changed when their son was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that damages his lungs. The news was devastating. Since then, his life has been filled with hospital visits, ICU stays, and constant medical care.
His doctors worry he may not have many years left.
Watching her son suffer is heartbreaking, but when Adrian’s partner shares a desire to try for another baby, Adrian is supportive. She finds comfort in knowing they can do genetic testing early in the pregnancy—around 10 weeks—to check for the same condition. She wants to avoid seeing another child endure the same pain.
When Adrian becomes pregnant again, the couple is cautiously excited. But soon after sharing the news, they learn that Georgia has enacted a strict abortion ban, making it illegal to have an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. The law includes only a few exceptions—and their son’s condition doesn’t qualify.
This means Adrian and her partner won’t be able to wait for the results of the 10-week genetic test. If it comes back positive, it will be too late to get an abortion in Georgia. And with their son’s ongoing medical needs, traveling out of state just isn’t possible.
Instead of having time to make an informed decision, they are rushed to choose: end the pregnancy before the testing, or take the risk and hope for the best.
Feeling overwhelmed and out of options, Adrian and her partner decide to terminate the pregnancy. They are heartbroken—not just by the decision itself, but by the fact that the law took the choice out of their hands. If they’d had just a few more weeks, they might have made a different decision.
What makes Adrian' pregnancy high-risk?
Some people are at higher risk of having pregnancies affected by genetic conditions or chromosome problems. In many cases, these conditions mean the fetus may not survive to birth or may die shortly afterward. Under Georgia’s abortion law, patients in some of these situations are able to decide whether continuing the pregnancy or having an abortion is the right decision for them and their family.
In other situations, the law doesn’t give patients a choice. For some conditions, babies may live for a few years or longer—but often with serious health challenges and a great deal of suffering. These pregnancies are still considered high-risk. But because Georgia’s law is so strict, patients who decide abortion is the right decision for them and their family in these situations often can’t get the care they need.
The story doesn’t stop here.
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