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Baby missing part of skull defies the odds to survive after mother rejects pressure to abortion

A boy born with part of his skull missing leaving his brain only covered by skin is believed to be the first to ‘survive and thrive’ with the rare condition after his mother rejected advice to abort him.

Lucas, born at 35 weeks weighing 6lb 5oz, was not expected to live beyond just a few hours due to his exencephaly.

His mother, Maria, was immediately advised by doctors to terminate her pregnancy at just ten weeks, however, she said she couldn’t go through with the abortion.

She said her decision was “always a battle back and forth” with doctors who “didn’t give any hope at all”.

Following their decision to choose life and not abort their baby, Maria and her husband, Augusto, revealed they were handed a list of funeral homes from doctors and were advised to make arrangements.

On the day of her induction, Maria prepared her three daughters for what she thought would be their baby brother’s first and last day to meet them.

However, thanks to a pioneering operation, performed to remove fluid and damaged parts of his brain, Lucas is thought to be the first baby able to survive the condition for more than a couple of days.

Dr Vogel, who performed the procedure, said: “I had to push for the first couple days [for] the surgery to get done.”

Amazingly, Lucas’ condition stabilised and he was allowed to go home only a week after the procedure.

He is now seven months old and awaiting surgery to mould a skull over his brain, improving the appearance while further protecting his head.

Because Lucas is the first baby with exencephaly to survive so long, doctors are unsure how the condition will impact his physical and mental health as he grows older. He is otherwise healthy, and has begun to eat baby food and cereal, to the delight of his mother.

Dr Vogel and his team are determined to give the infant the best chance of survival possible. Dr Vogel said: “It’s just awesome to be a part of something that is so unique, and to really know there’s a promising future for Lucas.”

“Lucas is going to be with me for a long time,” the doctor added. “Every time I see him, it’s just so encouraging.”

His mother said, “now he is home we feel so blessed – he doesn’t need much extra care than a normal baby and we just have to make sure we are careful with his head. He came to complete our family because this is the baby boy we’ve been waiting for.”

“His sisters enjoy singing to him and kissing him,” she added.

While Lucas’ situation is unique, medical advances mean stories like his are not and continue to provide hope and a reason to choose life. The survival rate for extremely premature babies, in the UK has doubled over the past decade prompting new guidance allowing doctors to try to save babies born as early as 22 weeks into a pregnancy.

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Dear reader,

We are facing two major threats in the Lords - an extreme assisted suicide Bill and an abortion up to birth amendment.

THE GOOD NEWS - OUR STRATEGY IS WORKING

At Second Reading of the Leadbeater assisted suicide Bill in the House of Lords, a record number of Peers spoke, and of those who took a position, around two-thirds opposed the assisted suicide Bill. That is more than double the number who supported it.

Our side also secured a significant win, with the establishment of a dedicated Lords Select Committee to further scrutinise the Bill’s proposals – and Committee Stage has been delayed until it reports.

This momentum has been built by tens of thousands of people like you. Thanks to your hard work, Peers are receiving a very large number of emails and letters by post, making the case against the Bill. 

Thanks to your support, we have been able to mount a major campaign in Parliament, in the media and online – alongside your own efforts – to keep us on course for our goal: that this dangerous Bill never becomes law.

BUT MORE CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD

We cannot become complacent. Well-funded groups - Dignity in Dying, My Death My Decision and Humanists UK - have poured millions into pushing assisted suicide. They can see support is slipping and will fight hard to reverse that.

This is not the only fight we are facing in the House of Lords.

At the same time, the Antoniazzi abortion up to birth amendment, which passed in the House of Commons in June, is moving through the House of Lords as part of the Crime and Policing Bill.

Second Reading will take place in a matter of weeks. It will then go on to Committee and Report Stages, where we will be up against the UK’s largest abortion providers – BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes) – who are expected to lobby for even more extreme changes to our abortion laws.

If the Antoniazzi amendment becomes law, it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason – including sex-selective purposes – at any point up to and during birth.

Thousands of vulnerable lives - at the beginning and the end of life - depend on what happens next. We must do everything in our power to stop these radical proposals.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Our campaign against the Leadbeater Bill in the House of Lords is working, but the work we have already done has significantly stretched our limited resources.

We are now stepping up our efforts against the assisted suicide Bill while launching a major push to stop the abortion up to birth amendment in the Lords. 

To fight effectively on both fronts, we aim to raise £183,750 by midnight this Sunday (5 October 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 donate now to help protect vulnerable lives from these two major threats?

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