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British man saves over 1,500 premature babies in war-torn Ukraine

James Roberts developed a folding incubator at Loughborough University when he was just 22. His invention is being used in the Ukraine to save the lives of premature babies born during the war. 

Final year university project saves lives

Inspired by a documentary about Syria, James Roberts decided to develop a folding incubator at the age of 22, as part of his final year project at Loughborough University. 

Now 31, the British inventor is being hailed as a “hero”. The lightweight, battery-powered incubator is being used in war-torn Ukraine to save the lives of babies born prematurely. In an environment where the mains power supply cannot be guaranteed, the battery-powered technology can ensure continued care when the electricity is disrupted.

Weighing only 20kg, the foldable incubator can be transported easily, meaning that babies can even be moved to bomb shelters without leaving behind this life-saving equipment. 

Incubators sent to Ukraine

Roberts spoke about being inspired to send his invention to Ukraine. “I saw terrible reports about what was happening in Ukraine. The entire team did. And we knew we could do something meaningful to help”, he said. 

“We heard from contacts in Ukraine that physicians were having to make the difficult choice of taking premature babies down into bomb shelters without the equipment they needed, or staying in maternity units where they risked being maimed or killed”.

In response to what Roberts and his team saw, 75 of Roberts’ “mOm” incubators have been sent to Ukraine and have already saved the lives of more than 1,500 premature babies. Ukraine’s Ministry of Health has asked for 100 more of them to be sent over. 

War increases the number of premature births

Herve Verhoosel, a representative of the global health organisation Unitaid, explained that in countries where there is war, the number of premature births can increase. Speaking of Ukraine, he said “The war increases the level of stress in pregnant women, leading to an increase in premature births reported, up to three times more than before the war”.

Three-quarters of deaths of premature babies are preventable with medical support, such as an incubator. 

British group sends birth kits to Ukrainian mothers

A British charity is sending specialised birthing kits to help pregnant mothers in Ukraine who are frequently unable to access hospitals due to the current conflict.

Baby Lifeline, a Coventry-based charity, has put together specialised birthing kits containing blood pressure monitoring equipment, suture kits and a delivery pack. The kits have been designed by a panel of experts for use by midwives and other medical professionals. The charity says that each kit costs £1,000 and that they are being sent out to Ukraine via Poland.

Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said “This story shows the power of innovation and technology to save lives. It’s incredible to think that just 75 incubators have helped save over 1,500 premature babies in Ukraine”. 

“Premature babies are vulnerable in all circumstances but are even more at risk in a country at war. We applaud James Roberts’ invention and this great initiative to get these incubators to babies in Ukraine”. 

“We wish the children and their families all the best in the midst of these very difficult circumstances, as well as all those whose lives have been terribly affected by this war”. 

Urgent appeal 
to save liveS

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help build on the momentum from the defeat of the assisted suicide Bill and make this victory last.

Dear reader,

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of people like you across the UK, after a two-year battle, MPs voted by 286 to 270 to reject the Edwards assisted suicide Bill.

This followed the defeat of the McArthur assisted suicide Bill in Scotland by 69 to 57 in March this year.

Many commentators thought both Bills would become law.

If that had happened, this would have led to the deaths of many thousands of vulnerable people over the coming decades.

Because supporters like you acted, those Bills were stopped.

Because of you, many vulnerable lives have been saved.

A prominent pollster described the campaign against these major attempts to introduce assisted suicide, which brought together people from all walks of life across the UK, as one of the “most successful 21st Century UK social issue campaigns”. You helped make that possible.

WHY WE MUST NOT STOP HERE

What we have achieved together is extraordinary. But we must not rest on our laurels.

Dignity in Dying, a multi-million-pound pressure group, has made clear that it will keep campaigning to legalise assisted suicide. 

We cannot wait until another Bill is brought forward. We need to keep pressing for better care and strengthen the case against legalisation now.

WHAT COMES NEXT

The next phase of our Support Not Suicide campaign will operate across Parliament, media, online and in grassroots communities in every constituency across the United Kingdom.

Our focus now is to build on that momentum from the defeat of these assisted suicide Bills and make these victories last.

We want to build a United Kingdom where assisted suicide is seen as unnecessary – and where legalising it is seen as unthinkable.

The first part of that work is a sustained push for universal access to high-quality palliative, hospice and social care. No one should feel driven towards assisted suicide because they cannot get the care and support they need. 

We have already asked supporters to contact their MPs about improving care. With your help, we will keep that pressure on in every constituency, brief MPs and Peers on gaps in care, and make the case for better provision in the media.

The second part is building on these wins to ensure more MPs and more of the wider public understand the dangers of legalising assisted suicide. We will put evidence of those risks before MPs and Peers. We will work with mainstream journalists to bring the voices of people directly affected, doctors and other experts into the national conversation, and produce clear videos and articles that supporters can share online and in their communities.

Our network of 250,000 supporters covers every constituency in the UK. Thanks to people like you sharing our content, our posts and videos have been viewed more than 100 million times online in the last year. 

We want to utilise that massive reach for this next phase of the campaign.

WE CAN ONLY DO THIS WITH YOUR HELP

The two-year fight to stop these Bills drew heavily on our limited resources.

To replenish those resources and fund the next phase of the Support Not Suicide campaign, we aim to raise at least £199,250 by midnight this Sunday (4 October 2026).

We are, therefore, appealing to you to please give as generously as you can today.

Every donation, large or small, will make a crucial difference in protecting vulnerable lives. Plus, if you are a UK taxpayer, £1 becomes £1.25 with Gift Aid at no extra cost to you.

Will you donate now to help make these victories last and protect vulnerable lives?

Urgent appeal 
to save liveS

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help build on the momentum from the defeat of the assisted suicide Bill and make this victory last.