Parents cherish short time with son after refusing abortion

A couple have shared how they treasure the short time they had with their son after refusing an abortion.

Lisa and Matt Coleman found out they were expecting twin boys, Ronnie and Lennie, in August 2023. At a routine 20-week scan they were told that Lennie had a rare and complicated heart condition and were offered a selective abortion, but they refused.

Both babies were born and they had two precious weeks with Lennie at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Mum Lisa ran the London Marathon this spring to raise money for GOSH in his memory, saying: “I am running the furthest I have ever run for our beautiful baby boy Lennie Allen Coleman”.

The hardest day

The parents shared how the selective abortion they were offered would have also risked the life of twin Ronnie. They said: “It just didn’t feel right to end Lennie’s life like that”.

Dad Matt explained how the twins were born seven weeks early. He noted: “We had maybe a minute together and then everyone was separated. A few hours later me and Lennie were in an intensive care ambulance with blue lights flashing, navigating the London rush hour traffic.”

Mum Lisa said: “I think that we didn’t quite appreciate that it was going to be the last time that we were together in a room with the boys – they never really got to be together outside of my body”.

After a few days, Lennie’s condition deteriorated: “We had to make the extremely hard decision to go down the comfort care route with GOSH’s palliative care team and it was the hardest day of our lives.”

Treasured memories

Matt shared at Lennie’s funeral: “I will treasure the days sitting next to what I like to call ‘our’ bed, while we tried to work out what this life really is all about.”

Lennie died in his parent’s arms at two weeks old. He stayed alive a day longer than the doctors predicted. His mum said: “People have said he really put up a fight, but I don’t like to think of it like that. I like to think that he just wanted to spend time with his mum and dad before he left.”