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Baby girl named Miracle born at just 23 weeks goes home after four months

A baby girl who went from weighing just 1lb when she was born at just 23 weeks to over 8lbs just four months later has finally gone home.

Baby Miracle Murray was born at just 23 weeks, one week before the abortion limit in England and Wales. She was the first daughter of her mother Tiffany, who already has four sons aged 23 to 8 years old, and didn’t have the easiest start in life. 

“It was stressful; I cried every day”, said her mother. “I felt sad at night; I wanted her to come home with me, but I understood that her health was more important”.

Tiffany spent every day in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with baby Miracle until she was strong enough to be discharged.

Over 35 medical staff helped care for Miracle

Because she was born so prematurely, she was unable to regulate her body temperature so had to be kept in an incubator. This meant that baby Miracle had to be kept in hospital for an unusually long time, and a team of over 35 medical staff cared for her during her stay, including neonatologists, physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists. 

Some labour and delivery doctors and nurses also stayed updated on Miracle’s progress.

“It was nice to see everyone working together to take part of Tiffany and Miracle’s care”, said physician assistant Joanna Barretta. “A lot of times labour and delivery nurses don’t get to see the outcome. It was nice that they were able to”.

Elyse Harrell, assistant nurse manager of the NICU, said that all the staff involved with Miracle’s care had become very attached to her and her mother.

“But she just did so wonderfully. We were all so proud of her. She did very well. She met our expectations the whole time”, she added.

Joanna went on to say of the newborns in the NICU “It’s really amazing because they’re very strong while also being very fragile at the same time. They’re resilient”.

Miracle’s mum Tiffany expressed her gratitude for the team saying “I want to thank them all for being there for my baby. They handled her as if she were their own baby, and that touched me a lot”.

Miracle is now home after four months in hospital

Miracle’s care team applauded her as she ‘graduated’ from the hospital after over four months in the NICU. She weighed 1lb 8oz, over eight times more than she had weighed at birth.

Nurses had helped to teach Tiffany how to change, feed and care for Miracle, as well as ensuring that she received skin-to-skin contact with her mother.

“She went home looking as healthy as some of the full-term babies”, Joanna said.

Survival rates have improved for babies born below the abortion limit

Babies like Miracle who were born before the current UK abortion limit of 24 weeks are increasingly able to survive. The last time the abortion limit was lowered in 1990, the improved survival rates for extremely prematurely born babies was one of the key considerations that motivated this change.

By the same logic, and informed by the improved survival rates for babies born at 22 and 23 weeks gestation, the abortion time limit should also be lowered now.

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “It is wonderful to hear how supportive little Miracle’s medical team have been for her and her mother through this challenging period of hospitalisation. As more medical professionals speak out about their experiences about caring for premature and unborn children, more light will be shed on the humanity of these babies”.

Critical appealto protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

The Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill can still be defeated at Third Reading, but only with your help.

Dear reader,

As you already likely know, the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill sadly passed Second Reading at the end of last month.

While it is very disappointing that the Bill passed Second Reading, an analysis published in The Independent shows that at least 36 MPs who supported the Bill did so only to allow further debate or because they had concerns that meant they won’t commit to supporting the Bill at Third Reading. Since then, our Public Affairs team has identified a number of other MPs who share these reservations.

With the vote passing by a margin of 55, just 28 MPs switching their stance to oppose the Bill would ensure it is defeated at Third Reading, so there is a clear path towards this Bill being defeated. We can still win this.

The assisted suicide lobby are fully aware that support for the Bill is very fragile. They will fight fiercely to prevent 28 MPs from switching their votes to oppose the Bill.

For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable lives that will be put at risk, we must win the vote and defeat this dangerous Bill.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Our campaign in the run-up to Second Reading was the biggest and most expensive we have ever run and so it has made a significant dent in our limited financial resources.

We are now working on an even bigger campaign to defeat this dangerous Bill at Third Reading.

To ensure we effectively defeat this extreme assisted suicide Bill, we are aiming to raise at least £100,000 by midnight this Sunday (15 December 2024).

Every donation, no matter the size, will mean YOU can make a crucial difference in saving vulnerable lives from this extreme law change.

Will you make a donation now to help protect vulnerable lives from this major threat?

Critical appealto protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

The Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill can still be defeated at Third Reading, but only with your help.