A North Carolina couple is mourning the loss of 6 of their 7 septuplets who died shortly after being born premature. A 7th fetus was miscarried at 12 weeks, according to Cosmopolitan.com.
Doctors tried to convince Lindsey and Steve Justice, both 29, to selectively abort a few of the fetuses so the remaining fetuses would have a better chance at survival, but Lindsay refused.
Lindsay explained to NBC News why she refused to abort a few of the babies.
“[The doctor] just said, ‘This is dangerous. The human body is not meant to carry six-plus babies, and for your health and for the babies — their chances of survival, your best medical option is to selectively reduce.’ Steve and I didn’t even have to look at each other. That was just not going to be an option.”
Lindsay’s water broke at 21 weeks and the babies were born premature and in critical condition. The couple held their preemies for about 2 hours until they died.
The loss of all 7 babies was especially heartbreaking for the producers who hoped to film a reality TV show.
Multiple births were rare until the 1980s when doctors began fertilizing eggs with sperm in lab dishes and implanting multiple fertilized eggs into barren women.
The Justices, who already have 2 children, said they will try again to have a third.
