Baby girl born just one week after UK abortion limit survives against all odds
A baby girl from Bristol born at just 25 weeks is now back home after living to defeat all odds. Little Poppy Wicks, born just one week after the UK abortion limit, weighed only 12.7 oz, about the size of a tennis ball, when she was born.
Hannah, Poppy’s mother, was advised by doctors to ‘prepare for the worst’ when she was expecting her daughter. She spoke to the Daily Mail about her little girl’s incredible against-all-odds battle for life. It’s remarkable to think looking at Poppy now that she weighed a meagre 12.7oz when she was born. She was so tiny that when her arms and legs were curled up she could easily fit in the palm of a hand. Hannah Wicks and her partner Steve McSween, both 31 and from Bristol, were hoping against hope the entire pregnancy. Concerned doctors repeatedly told the couple that the chances their baby would survive to full term were slim.
Hannah recalled how only 18 weeks into her pregnancy, doctors first warned that the baby would probably be dead on the next scan because there had been no signs of growth. Hoping for a miracle, but prepared for tragedy, Hannah had even bought a tiny toy rabbit so her precious little girl would not be alone in her tiny coffin. At this stage, Poppy’s parents tried to explain to Oliver, Hannah’s five-year old son from a previous relationship, that he might never get the chance to meet her. Forecasts were dire from experts, but despite this, in a miraculous twist, beautiful little Poppy was born on March 9th this year. Her birth came just one week past the abortion limit in the UK, and she is now back home with her besotted family enjoying every minute. Poppy’s incredible story of life illuminates in a pertinent way the true horror of late-term abortions. Just think, children at the same stage as Poppy when she was born are being wiped out daily, stripped of a chance to take their first breath. The tragedy of it is further magnified when one brings to mind the awful methods used to snuff out these little lives – dismemberment, poisoning, suffocation.
Hannah told the Mirror: 'Poppy really is our miracle baby – she's just fought and fought and fought against all the odds. But she's made it. We've never given up hope but we always prepared for the worst – that Poppy would not survive.’ Poppy’s story so far goes to show that life triumphs. As her elated mother said, "All along we were told, 'She's not going to be alive at the next scan." Yet here Poppy is today. The baby now weighs 4lb 5oz – you can compare this to the average 7lb 5oz for a newborn – although Poppy’s battle has been characterised by consistency. She contracted sepsis when she was just six weeks old and still needs an oxygen aid at the moment.
The glimmer of hope for Poppy was always shimmering in the midst of the family’s toughest trials. Steve told the British press, 'We weren't going to give up on her.' He explained that he and Hannah had faced planning a funeral, but never stopped believing that their baby could pull through. ‘We had stopped buying clothes and preparing for the birth. But we never gave up hope.' Poppy was born by emergency Caesarean at 25 weeks in Bristol's Southmead Hospital. 'When they said they had to deliver, I burst into tears. That's when it hit me, 'She's either going to make it or not,’ Hannah said. 'So many people had said, 'She's too small.' We were told the hospital medical equipment to save her life after birth was too small for her and they wouldn't be able to help her. But after the birth one of the doctors brought her over to me and I was able to kiss her. It meant so much that I had seen her.'
Hannah and Steve never thought for a second about giving up on Poppy. They believed with conviction that where there is life, there is hope. Precious Life will take inspiration from baby Poppy and her parents and with your continued support, we will keep up our fight to defend every life.