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A baby boy born before the abortion limit 15 years ago is now raising money for premature babies

A baby boy was born a week before the abortion limit and, fifteen years later, he’s healthy, happy, climbing Ben Nevis, and raising money for other premature babies like him.

Liam Lyttle was born prematurely 15 years ago. He was born when his mum was just over 22 weeks pregnant, weighing just 1lb 6oz.

He had a brain haemorrhage, problems with his heart, eyes and lungs, and had to spend the first four months of his life in hospital.

Liam was treated at University Hospital of North Staffordshire and had to have seven blood transfusions and suffered a brain haemorrhage, which, at one point, doctors thought could lead to cerebral palsy.

A “complete miracle”

Neither his family nor doctors were sure if he would make it, but baby Liam went on to become the family’s “complete miracle”.

His mum, Mandy Bennett, said: “He was born at 22 weeks and six days and weighed 760 grams. He had problems with his heart, lungs, eyes and had a brain haemorrhage. He had physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. He is completely fine now. To go up Ben Nevis from the chance of him surviving before, he is a complete miracle”.

She added: “As a family, we are super proud of him and what he has achieved to date. I never take a single day for granted and will always be his biggest fan”.

He’s raising money for premature babies

And she has plenty to be proud of. At the age of 10, as a Woodville Juniors pupil, he walked up Mount Snowden in Wales, raising £2,001 for Bliss, a charity for sick and premature babies.

He has since climbed Ben Nevis and has been selected to represent the UK at a world Scouting event in South Korea.

Abortion is allowed in the UK under various circumstances up to 24 weeks gestation, and even up to birth if the child has a disability. However, premature babies like Liam are born before the abortion limit and can go on to survive and thrive.

Earlier this year, John Wyatt, Emeritus Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics, Ethics & Perinatology at University College London, presented evidence to parliamentarians from the UK and across the world showing “that there has been a steady improvement in the chances of survival of babies born at 22 and 23 weeks gestation since the Abortion Act was last amended [in 1990]”.

Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said: “The prospects for extremely premature babies are improving all the time. This is yet another story in which babies born before the abortion limit survive. It even happened over 15 years ago, when medical technology was not as advanced as it is now. Our outdated abortion laws urgently need to change. Babies in the womb deserve the protection of the law.”

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to protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help fight major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.

Dear reader,

Despite the Leadbeater assisted-suicide Bill passing its Third Reading on 20 June, it scraped through by just 23 votes (314-291) after enjoying a 55-vote majority at Second Reading. Had 12 more MPs switched sides, the Bill would be dead. It now limps into the Lords with a wafer-thin majority, where peers can amend, delay or reject it outright.

THE CHALLENGE

Dignity in Dying, My Death My Decision and Humanists UK have poured millions into pushing assisted suicide and will fight hard to stop the Lords overturning the Bill.

At the same time, the Antoniazzi abortion-up-to-birth amendment, passed by MPs in June, also heads to the Lords. If it becomes law, it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason – including sex-selective purposes – and at any point up to and during birth.

We will be up against the UK’s largest abortion providers, BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes), who are expected to push for even more extreme changes to our abortion laws in the Lords.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Thousands of vulnerable lives are now at stake. Battling these two threats is the biggest and most expensive effort in our history, and has drained our limited resources. To fight effectively on both fronts, we aim to raise £200,000 by midnight this Sunday (13 July 2025).

Every donation, large or small, will help protect lives, and UK taxpayers can add 25p to every £1 through Gift Aid at no extra cost.

Will you make a donation now to help protect vulnerable lives from these major threats?

URGENT
APPEAL
to protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help fight major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.