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.”
