A mother whose twins were born under the abortion limit says her boys are “living proof” that the law should change.
Kelly Hough is the latest mother to speak out powerfully on the issue of abortion, and joins others calling for the 24 week limit to be lowered.
Kelly was told if her children were not breathing when they were born, then medics would not ‘help them’.
Speechless
“I was speechless – I’d gone in complaining of back pain, never suspecting I could be in labour at 23 weeks.
“Now I was being told my children probably wouldn’t live”, she commented.
However, when the hospital saw the two boys – Billy and Kaydon – were breathing, they placed them in incubators and took them to a neonatal unit.
Living proof
Later the twins were able to leave hospital and now live a normal life.
“To me they’re living proof that the 24-week abortion rule needs revising. In fact, looking at them now, no one would have a clue that they were born so early”, Kelly said.
Kelly told her story to the Daily Mail alongside Zara Taffurelli, a mum-of-two whose youngest was also born at 23 weeks.
Fully formed
Zara said that seeing her daughter – Emily – fight for life “made my heart break for all the other premature babies who don’t get the same chance, or who are born breathing but left to die in their mothers’ arms, simply because they’re under 24 weeks”.
Zara concluded: “Emily has overcome so much already that whatever challenges she might face in life, I know she will be more than a match for them.”
Another mother, Caryanne Asher, said her experience with her son Theo made her call into question the current law.
So proud
“Having seen for myself that everything is fully formed at 23 weeks, I don’t know how the 24-week abortion limit can still stand.”
“To look at him you would never know how much he overcame”, Caryanne said, adding that she and her husband are “so proud of him”.