‘I was scared to even touch him’: Mother’s joy as her ‘miracle’ baby survives being born TWO DAYS before the abortion limit weighing just 1lb 4oz
- Anita Hyams gave birth to her third child, William, after 23 weeks and five days
- Doctors told her that he would not be resuscitated unless he had a heartbeat
- But William defied all of the odds. Now 16 months, he is healthy and thriving
- Mrs Hyams and her husband are now calling for the abortion limit to be lowered
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A ‘miracle’ baby survived being born two days before the abortion limit – despite weighing only 1lb 4oz.
Anita Hyams, from Southend, Essex, gave birth to her third child, William, after just 23 weeks and five days.
Doctors devastatingly told her that he would not be resuscitated unless he had a heartbeat because he was born so prematurely.
But William defied all of the odds. Now 16 months, he is healthy and thriving, after spending four months in hospital.
Mrs Hyams, 38, and her police detention officer husband Dan, 36, are now calling for the 24 week abortion limit to be lowered.
Anita Hyams, from Southend, Essex, gave birth to her third child, William, after just 23 weeks and five days (William is pictured now, at 16 months)
Doctors devastatingly told her that he would not be resuscitated unless he had a heartbeat because he was born so prematurely (pictured: her first cuddle with 27-day-old William)
She said: ‘People have abortions at 24 weeks and yet look at William, he is alive and kicking and a fully-formed baby.
‘He is not quite as developed as other babies his age, but he is getting there, and he is alive.
‘I was only 23 weeks pregnant when I went into labour and I knew that people could have abortions up to 24 weeks.
‘After my experience, I think the abortion limit should be lower, or at least the limit should be lowered for when they will resuscitate a premature baby to 22 weeks.’
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Currently, the abortion limit in England, Wales and Scotland is 24 weeks – but campaigners have argued it should be lowered.
However, the limit can be raised in exceptional circumstances, such as the mother’s life being at risk, or the child being born with very severe disabilities.
Mrs Hyams thought nothing of it when she felt feverish after completing a long shift as an intensive care nurse in June 2016.
Going to bed, she woke in the early hours and, feeling achy and unwell, she took a paracetamol and hoped the pain would subside.
William defied all of the odds. Now 16 months, he is healthy and thriving, after spending four months in hospital (pictured in hospital after he was born)
Mrs Hyams said: ‘People have abortions at 24 weeks and yet look at William, he is alive and kicking and a fully-formed baby’ (pictured: William’s first Christmas)
WHAT IS THE ABORTION TIME LIMIT IN THE UK?
Most abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out by the end of the 24th week of pregnancy.
They can be carried out after 24 weeks in certain circumstances, for example, if the mother’s life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability.
Campaigners urge for the time-limit to be reduced due to figures revealing one-third of babies born at 23 weeks survive.
Some argue that at 23 weeks, babies can detect their mothers’ movements, as well as having a decent sense of hearing.
They can also make facial expressions and produce urine at just 14 weeks, and hiccup at 11 weeks.
Then at 5am, she woke again and knew at once that she was in labour.
Mrs Hyams said: ‘I’d already had two children, so knew exactly what the feeling was. I was having contractions.
‘I went downstairs and walked around for a bit, praying I wasn’t having the baby.’
Ringing her father, Alan Bull, 62, who lived three miles away in Rochford, he advised her to wake her sleeping husband and call the hospital.
Leaving Mr Bull to look after their daughters, terrified Mr and Mrs Hyams drove to Southend University Hospital.
‘We wanted this baby so badly, as I’d miscarried before,’ she said, recalling how she had lost a child at nine weeks in December 2015.
Mrs Hyams struggled to get pregnant because of her polycystic ovary syndrome and underactive thyroid.
She had taken the fertility drug metformin to improve her rate of ovulation before conceiving Olivia, eight, and Marion, five.
Mrs Hyams thought nothing of it when she felt feverish after completing a long shift as an intensive care nurse in June 2016. Then at 5am, she woke again and knew at once that she was in labour (pictured: William now)
William had already beat the odds before he was born, being the only one of Mrs Hyams’ children to be conceived without fertility drugs (pictured from left to right: Olivia, eight, Dan, 36, William, Anita and Marion, five)
Luckily, he took a breath on his own and he was then given oxygen tubes to help him breath (pictured with his mother)
William had already beat the odds before he was born, being the only one of Mrs Hyams’ children to be conceived without the drug.
Luckily, he took a breath on his own and he was then given oxygen tubes to help him breath.
He was immediately whisked away to the special care baby unit, before Mrs Hyams even had chance to see him.
‘I saw William for the first time at three hours old,’ she said. ‘I was scared to even touch him, because he was so tiny, just the size of my hand.
‘But it was like looking at a little miracle. He was fully formed, but not completely developed.
‘All his fingers and toes were there, he was just like a miniature version of a baby.’
Transferred to the more specialist Royal London Hospital in east London that night, William was looked after in the neonatal intensive care unit for 45 days.
He was immediately whisked away to the special care baby unit, before Mrs Hyams even had chance to see him (pictured: William’s foot in his father’s hand)
‘I saw William for the first time at three hours old,’ Mrs Hyams said. ‘I was scared to even touch him, because he was so tiny, just the size of my hand’ (pictured: 20 weeks pregnant)
Transferred to the more specialist Royal London Hospital in east London that night, William was looked after in the neonatal intensive care unit for 45 days (William’s parents are pictured with him in Southend University Hospital)
Visiting him and watching him go from strength to strength every day, William’s family stayed in Stevenson House for the duration.
The free accommodation for families with unwell children is run by national charity The Sick Children’s Trust, which supports 4,00 children a year.
‘We stayed with him as much as we could and read to him every day,’ said Mrs Hyams.
‘He got stronger every day and, on August 31, was taken back to Southend University Hospital, as he had made so much progress.’
Eventually, the family took William home on October 7 – just eight days after his official due date of September 29.
Mrs Hyams continued: ‘His sisters adore him and are like two extra little mummies to him.
‘I still feel so emotional talking about it all. He is so full of smiles and life. He can sit up on his own, but can’t crawl just yet. I know he’ll get there, though.
‘And I’m just so grateful that he’s here.’
For more information about The Sick Children’s Trust visit here.
Visiting him and watching him go from strength to strength every day, William’s family stayed in Stevenson House for the duration (pictured: Mrs Hyams holding her son’s hand)
Eventually, the family took William home on October 7 – just eight days after his official due date of September 29 (pictured with him when he was discharged)
Mrs Hyams said: ‘I still feel so emotional talking about it all. He is so full of smiles and life. He can sit up on his own, but can’t crawl just yet. I know he’ll get there, though’
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