Kallie was smaller than a barbie doll when born

Baby Kallie Bender, who was born more than three months premature, weighing just 13.1 ounces, has returned home after spending 150 days in hospital.

Kallie's mother, Ebonie Bender, was 24 weeks and four days pregnant, when she was told by doctors that her baby, Kallie, wasn't growing at a normal pace. Ms Bender was admitted to hospital where she was informed that Kallie's best chance of survival was to be delivered prematurely.

Kallie was delivered, 15 weeks prematurely and spent five months in a neonatal intensive care unit where she had breathing assistance and underwent complex heart surgery.

Despite the odds, Kallie survived. She now weighs a healthy seven pounds and has returned home with her family.

Dr Vinit Manuel, the medical director of the neonatal intensive care unit at Dignity Health St Joseph's Hospital, where Kallie was treated, described how the family’s efforts contributed greatly to Kallie’s survival.

Dr Manuel said: "They have been involved from day one, being at the bedside, doing skin-to-skin contact, reading to the baby, playing music. It's not easy to quantify, but research has shown the more families get involved, the benefits [for the baby] are huge".

Defeating the odds

Kallie is now part of the growing ranks of premature babies to beat the odds and survive including, Isabella Evans who returned home to her family earlier this year after being born smaller than a packet of baby wipes at just 24 weeks old and Amelia Taylor who, in 2016, was born at 21 weeks and six days old and is one of the world’s youngest premature babies to ever survive. 

These real life stories demonstrate clearly the humanity of the tiny children who are being so dehumanised by the abortion law.

SPUC Chief Executive, John Smeaton said: "Every innocent human life is deserving of basic protection and support regardless of developmental stage or ability.

"It is barbaric to consider that innocent human life is being destroyed at any point of development. Efforts should be made to save and preserve human life regardless of developmental age. It is chilling to think that in the same hospital where premature babies are being protected and cared for, other children at the can be targeted for abortion".

The growing survival rates for premature babies

Evidence provided by Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics, John Wyatt, shows that a baby born at 23 weeks old has a 50% chance of surviving. His evidence illustrates that 30 years ago, less than 20% of babies born before 28 weeks of gestation survived. However, advances in medical care at the beginning of life have transformed the prospects of survival for premature babies.

Evidence now affirms that 35% of babies born four months premature at 22 weeks old now survive if treated.