Twins born just after the abortion limit of 24 weeks have overcome all medical forecasts and are now doing well.
Mum Caroline Wirt said doctors thought it was “very unlikely” that both the twins would survive.
At 23 weeks into her pregnancy, her waters broke and she was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Surgery
Caroline had suffered an inflammatory response to an infection and was forced to give birth by emergency caesarean section.
Sapphire and Ruby were born at 24 weeks. Ruby weighed 1lb 5 oz at birth, her sister 1lb 2 oz.
It is currently legal in Great Britain to abort children up to 24 weeks, or up to birth if it is believed that the baby will be born with a disability.
‘Hope’
But both twins had to undergo surgeries soon after they were born. Caroline said doctors thought Sapphire “probably wouldn’t pull through” before she had surgery to close the lining in her small intestine.
However, she survived and both twins were finally allowed to go home on 17 June, 2015.
Caroline said: “It was surreal to get them to come home and be part of normal family life. They have to go back for the odd check-up with the consultants now and they can’t believe that they survived.”
The twins are now two years old and she said it is “so wonderful to see them as happy healthy little girls”. Caroline added that she hoped sharing their story would “give other mums hope”.
‘Living proof’
Last November, a mum called for a change to the abortion limit after her son Ollie was born at 23 weeks and went on to defy all doctors’ expectations.
Deborah Jackson 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.”