Mother Gives Birth to Conjoined Twins, Refused Pressure From Father to Have Abortion

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Aug 27, 2015   |   4:37PM   |  

A Colorado woman has given birth to conjoined twins, but only one of the babies is expected to survive and is asking for prayer.

Amber McCullough delivered the twin girls by cesarean section on Wednesday and indicated that one of the babies, named Hannah, is alive but currently in critical condition. The other baby, named Olivia, is not expected to survive.

The twins reportedly shared an abdomen, liver and intestinal tract but has separate hearts and kidneys. At birth, Olivia was not expected to survive because her heart had a single ventricle and was missing valves.

“I would like everyone to know, and for the message to be read that Hannah did survive the surgery. However, she is very critical and very delicate,” McCullough told a Minnesota television station.

Fortunately, Amber gave both girls a chance at life after her partner pressured her to have an abortion and even became abusive when she refused.

“I have not and refuse to give up on my girls. I have been in a postion [sic] where I have had much pressure to abort at times and I refuse. Instead, I choose to embrace their life while they are here and fight like crazy to do all I can for my daughters,” she wrote.

Here’s more:

Amber McCullough says the girls, whom she’s already named Hannah and Olivia, are joined at the chest, abdomen and pelvis. The twins share just one pelvic structure with two normally formed legs, while Olivia has a malformed leg that is located on the back side of the twins’ hips.

Doctors say Olivia has a heart defect that is not survivable. Hannah’s ultrasound shows normal organ development and function. They will attempt to save Hannah using a procedure called Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment (EXIT).

McCullough explains that the incision will leave Hannah with parts of her sister’s body, including the malformed leg, which will likely be removed during subsequent surgery, and her lower spine.

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“I am determined not only to do all we can to keep [Hannah] alive but also to ensure she is happy and as comfortable as possible. That being said, naturally there will be some uncomfortable parts of this journey in which case we will also lean on the doctors to manage her pain,” McCullough wrote on her GoFundMe page.

McCullough is 32 weeks along in her pregnancy. She flew to the Colorado Fetal Care Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado at the beginning of the month to prepare for their birth.

Amber shared that her girls, Hannah and Olivia, are a rare combination since she is an identical twin herself.

As LifeNews previously reported, in 2013 doctors were able to save a little girl named Lake Annabelle Hall thanks to the EXIT procedure. The AP reported that Hall was partially removed from her mother’s womb while a team of 43 doctors and nurses operated on her. During the operation, Hall was connected to her umbilical cord and placentia, which served as life-support.

To find out more about Amber’s situation and offer financial support click here. Here are pictures of the ultrasounds:

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