Choose life
People tell their personal stories of how they were deeply affected by abortion.
An Essex mum has called for a change to the UK’s legal abortion limit after her son was born one week before the 24 week limit and has since defied all doctors’ expectations.
Deborah Jackson gave birth to twins Ollie and Owen at 23 weeks.
Sadly, Owen died after just an hour but Ollie survived and is now a healthy three and-a-half-year-old.
Mental health
He’s living proof a baby can survive being born at 23 weeks.
Deborah Jackson
Abortion is currently legal up to 24 weeks in Britain on a broad range of criteria, including if it is deemed that the expectant mother’s mental health would suffer as a result of having the baby.
Deborah was rushed to hospital with severe cramping at 22 weeks.
However, hospital staff could not allow her to enter into the labour ward at the time as she was under 23 weeks pregnant.
‘Distraught’
When cramping became worse and she was again rushed to hospital, doctors told Deborah that she was having a miscarriage and they did not legally have to intervene to help the babies.
Deborah said: “I was distraught, I couldn’t believe they were just going to let my babies die.”
After Owen died, doctors told her that Ollie would be blind, deaf and would neither walk or talk, if he even managed to survive at all.
Chance to fight
But Ollie did survive and spent the next six months fighting to overcome a series of serious medical issues, including a hole in his heart.
He was given the all-clear to leave the hospital in September 2013 and now aged three and-a-half, he is doing well and preparing to go to pre-school.
Deborah said: “He’s living proof a baby can survive being born at 23 weeks. Babies are dying unnecessarily and should get the chance to fight.
“It is legal to abort a baby at the same stage as Ollie which distresses me greatly.”
Choose life
She added: “Looking at him today fills me with pride. He is a normal cheeky three-year-old who has brought so much joy to our lives.”
Deborah said that she hopes her story will help move the UK Government to consider changing the current abortion laws.
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