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Twins give their vote

Faye Adams
8/ 3/2006

A MOTHER of premature twins is urging readers to vote to keep maternity services in Tameside.

Angela Lomax is the proud mum of four-week-old twins Matilda and Scarlet.

Born six weeks early at Tameside Hospital, Matilda weighed 5lbs and suffered breathing problems; her sister weighed 3lbs and was initially drip-fed to correct her low blood sugars.

Angela, of Nightingale Drive, Audenshaw is a diabetic and was rushed into Tameside for an emergency Caesarean operation.

The 35 year old says her hospital care was "excellent" and believes it would be a tragedy if the facility were to close.

"I've seen both sides. We were very fortunate, we'd been to the hospital beforehand and knew where everything was.

"However, I saw a man from Wilmslow whose wife had been transferred here," she said.

"He was frantic, he didn't know how to get here, where anything was and he was frightened of missing the birth of his child.

"If we lose these services everybody from Tameside will be in the same situation, rushing to Oldham or Stockport."

Thanks to the care of the Tameside doctors and nurses, Scarlet is now a healthy 4lbs 14ozs and the twins are due to leave hospital this week.

"If people put as much effort into getting behind their local hospital as they do voting for Big Brother or celebrity ice skating then we're going to win," Angela added.