It’s very difficult to argue that abortions should be legal after looking into the face of premature babies like Kalel Fitz.
The British baby was born after just 23 weeks in his mother’s womb, and doctors gave him a 50 percent chance of survival, according to The Daily Mail. His feet were so tiny that they measured just 1 inch long, and his weight was 1 pound, 8 ounces, the report states.
But because his parents gave him a chance at life, little Kalel will celebrate his second birthday in April.
His mother, Kaye Latham, had troubled pregnancies in the past. She lost an unborn son at 22 weeks in 2010. In April 2014, she almost lost Kalel, too.
Latham was 23 weeks pregnant with Kalel when her water broke; a few days later, she gave birth to him via C-section, the report states. Immediately, doctors rushed Kalel to the intensive care unit where they placed him on a ventilator and told Latham and her fiance, Scott Fitz, that their son could die.
The report continues:
He stopped breathing twice and doctors gave him rounds steroids to treat a collapsed lung.
But while medics worked tirelessly to give him the best chance of survival, after ten weeks they approached the couple about turning off his machine.
They had him christened and decided to wait a couple of days before him one last chance to come off the breathing machine.
When the tube was removed, he started breathing with the help of a face mask. Gradually he grew stronger and started putting on weight before being well enough to go home after four months in hospital.
Doctors warned the couple he might need to be on oxygen long-term, but Kalel has again defied expectations.
Last month, the oxygen was withdrawn during the day and earlier this month he was told he no longer needed it though the night.
‘We continue to be amazed,’ said Ms Latham.
‘We were planning to say goodbye to him and he just had other ideas.’
Today, the family calls Kalel their little Superman because of his fighting spirit. Before their son was born, Fitz suggested naming him Kalel after Superman’s name on the plant Krypton, according to the report. However, Latham wasn’t thrilled with the name and gave an “I don’t know” answer.
As Latham watched her son battle for his life in the hospital, she began to have second thoughts about the name.
“But when he was born and he got through that I just knew he had to have that name,” Latham said. “He hasn’t stopped living up to his name. He really is our little superhero.”
Thanks to modern medical advancements, more very premature babies are surviving and growing up to lead long, healthy lives. However, in America, some unborn babies at Kalel’s birth age are not given the same chance at life. Late-term abortions are still legal in many states. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 18,000 viable unborn babies are aborted in the U.S. every year. A recent study also found that when babies as young as Kalel are born, some hospitals are denying them treatment.
Kalel’s tiny life shines a light on these troubling numbers and demonstrates how every baby deserves the same chance at life.
