13 weeks into her pregnancy, British mom-to-be Emma Lee and her husband Drew received heartbreaking news. Though they were expecting a healthy set of twins, only one was developing normally. While their son Josh would be born healthy, their daughter had a severe birth defect called anencephaly.
Having this condition meant that Emma’s baby girl, Hope, would be born with an underdeveloped brain and skull which lacked the vital parts needed in order for it to function normally.
Though some infants with anencephaly manage to survive past birth, majority of infants do not.
Emma and Drew were asked if they would like to abort, but they refused without hesitation and decided to have the baby in order to help many other sick babies have a second shot at life.
They wanted Hope to be a hero
They told the Daily Mirror that they were inspired by the story of little Teddy Houlston who died 100 minutes after he was born but became a hero by donating his organs.
“We were distraught, but we didn’t want her to die in vain,” said Emma to the Daily Mirror.
Along with preparing for the birth, the couple also planned their unborn baby’s funeral.
When Emma gave birth to her twins, Josh weighed a healthy 5 pounds while Hope was only 2 pounds and 13 ounces.
She stayed alive for 74 minutes in which time she was showered with love and affection throughout her entire short life. Hope passed away in her loving mom’s arms.
Though little Hope left them so soon, they found comfort in the fact that they were able to spend time with her, that she looked peaceful and that Hope’s story would give hope to many and inspire them to be organ donors. In this way, Hope would continue to help many others.
Hope’s kidneys were successfully transplanted into an adult patient while some of her liver cells were frozen for future use.
“Today she is still living on inside someone else and it helps with the grief,” Emma told the Daily Mirror. “It’s taken some of the pain away.”
Learn more about Hope’s story in the news report below.
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