A family from Texas is grieving the loss of their twin sons. Although the couple knew early on that their babies had severe, fatal, congenital birth defects, the mother could not terminate the pregnancy. Since the US Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, aborting a baby with a heartbeat is illegal in Texas, regardless of the circumstances.
Even though an abortion can be performed if it is life-threatening to the woman, she does not have a choice as to whether she may terminate her pregnancy for any other reason. Miranda Michel, 26, delivered her sons, Helios and Perseus Langley, on August 9, 2023. They died shortly after birth. The family's pain and agony are palpable, but some say it could have been avoided.
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Miranda knew early on that something was wrong.
In an interview with the Texas Tribune, Miranda told her story. She said she and her partner, Levi Langley, 25, had been living in Utah but moved to Texas to be closer to his family. Soon after the move, they found out they were expecting. The pregnancy itself was a surprise, but they would make a devastating discovery early on. Miranda, who had three other children, felt something was wrong.
Something seemed off when she had her first ultrasound, but she had trouble getting to see the doctor. She ended up going to an emergency room in Texarkana, where she learned the babies might be conjoined.
"We couldn't get a straight answer, and it was just a run-around game," she told the Tribune.
It took months before she was able to see a specialist.
She learned the devastating news when she finally saw a doctor in Dallas. The babies were conjoined and had twisted spines. Their organs were on the outsides of their bodies, and some were not developed at all.
The Tribune reported that one of the babies had a clubbed foot and the other had a large fluid bubble on top of his neck.
The couple was heartbroken.
Not only would her babies not survive, but she also did not have the option to terminate her pregnancy. The nurse passed her a note with the name of an abortion clinic in New Mexico, but traveling there was impossible for Miranda and Levi. She was forced to carry the pregnancy to term and face the horrific reality of delivering her babies, who would almost certainly die shortly after birth if they survived at all.
She struggled to find hope during her pregnancy.
Miranda traveled to Dallas throughout her pregnancy for prenatal care, according to the Tribune. Although her appointments brought more sadness and heartbreak, she tried to remain optimistic.
"I had hope. I fought for them," Miranda said. "I tried not believing what my doctors were saying. And now, I have no other options."
The babies were born at 31 weeks.
Miranda's twins decided it was time to be born, and on August 9, she had a complicated surgery to deliver the babies. She was under sedation during the more than two-hour procedure, but when she awoke, she could hold her sons, who still had a heartbeat.
"A couple of minutes, that was all we were expecting," Levi said. "And then I noticed that they weren't moving at all, and I thought they had died in my arms. I was crying, holding onto them for dear life."
The babies died a short time later as their mother held them close.
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The tragedy rocked the family.
Both Miranda and Levi were heartbroken by the complicated pregnancy, the inability to choose their fate, and watching their sons die. They held a funeral for Helios and Perseus a week after their birth, the Tribune reported. Supported by their family, they hope to be able to move on with their lives someday.
"I feel like I've had my heart ripped out of my chest a couple of times," Miranda said. "I know I want to be there, but I don't know that I am ready to say goodbye."
The grieving father told the Tribune that he hopes to be reunited with his sons in heaven.
"I know I've got kids here who need me too. But those boys — all they gotta do is wait for me," he said via the Tribune. "I'll teach them hunting, fishing. We'll get in a buggy and drive around. We're going to have some fun when it's my time."
