My own experience as a theatre nurse has shown me that many of these babies are born alive. I baptised a four and a half month foetus lying in the sluice room, its little hands and feet moved when the drops of water fell on it. The second instance was a six-month-old foetus born alive by caesarean section. It was handed by the surgeon to the registrar who disappeared into the sluice room. I saw him trying to kill off the baby by holding its nose with finger and thumb and the palm of his hand under his chin. His horror was as great as mine.
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I was a student nurse in 1976 and had observed many early abortions and, to be honest, they looked nothing like a person and so did not disturb me. When I witnessed the abortion of a 24-week baby I was eighteen and still to this day think about it. I knew I shouldn't have agreed to observe but I was afraid of being ridiculed and went out of curiosity as well. The woman was a private patient being treated in an NHS hospital. She had been started on prostaglandin infusion. Complications occurred and she was rushed to the theatre (not because she was at risk but because she was in pain). A hysterotomy was performed and a fully formed baby was removed and put on a tray and placed in the sluice. I went to look and it was moving its arms and legs. I was mortified and ran to tell the surgeon who told me not to 'be so stupid' and that I should not be a nurse if I could not control my emotions. By this time I was hysterical but no one would help me and I was told I would be reported for making a fuss. I was only 18; I just couldn't understand why a baby was alive in the sluice, naked and dying and no one would help or give it comfort. A theatre sister who refused to take part in abortions came to me and together we baptised the baby and a priest came to give it last rites. We refused to let that baby be burned but buried it as if it were stillborn. I nearly left nursing but stayed on because I cared. But I am haunted by that baby even today.
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In 1985 as part of my training I was working in operating theatres learning how to assist surgeons. I was assigned to the gynaecology theatre and was told the next operation would be a termination of pregnancy. I could have chosen to not take part but I had no objections at that time. On this particular occasion the surgeon had chosen the suction method. I apologise in advance for the gruesome details but they are important to the story. He was having no success with this method because