IVF TWINS SHOCKER - HAS THE SUN BEEN LYING AGAIN?

29-05-2008

Today’s shocking story about the elderly couple who had twins by IVF but then abandoned them in a Birmingham hospital has been called into question by the health authorities – and it poses the question, has The Sun been lying again?

The paper’s front page has the tale of an unnamed 59-year old woman and a 72-year old man conceived using IVF in India where their age – unlike in the UK – was not a barrier to treatment.

They then returned home to the UK where the woman gave birth to two girls a fortnight ago at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.

The babies were later transferred to a hospital closer to the couple’s home in Birmingham (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1220338.ece).

This much seems undisputed – but what’s open to question is The Sun’s claim that the girls have now been abandoned because they were the wrong sex.

According to the paper, the children have had no visitors since being born a fortnight ago and they quote an “NHS insider” who says the couple weren’t prepared to raise the children.

All very shocking – if true.

But here’s a statement from the NHS in the West Midlands which flatly contradicts the most shocking part of the tale:

"Twin girls were born at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton earlier this month by emergency caesarean section.

"Shortly after birth, the babies were transferred to a unit in Birmingham closer to where their parents live.

"The parents are visiting their daughters whilst they are being cared for in hospital and are attentive to their needs.

"For patient confidentiality reasons, the identity of the family and the babies are not being disclosed.  The identity of the hospital is also not being disclosed.

"We are not aware of a referral to social services."

Birmingham Council has confirmed that no referral has been made to them.

In other words – er, the girls haven’t been abandoned at all.

So has The Sun been telling porkies? It wouldn’t be the first time lately.

As The Stirrer reported last month, they were threatened with legal action after falsely accusing Selly Oak Hospital of infecting a soldier with MRSA(see link here)

They also falsely claimed that a fan was killed in an act of fan rivalry following the Villa/Blues derby (see link here and http://tinyurl.com/3kuwjs)

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