Precious Life congratulate vindicated pro-life Doctor who saves babies' lives using "abortion pill reversal" treatment
'I saved precious babies from pills-by-post terminations... but nearly paid with my career': NHS consultant tells how he beat a 'campaign' to have him struck off for 'abortion reversals' he provided to women for free.
Precious Life have welcomed a decision by the General Medical Council (GMC) to drop all sanctions against a pro-life doctor after concluding that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in him providing women with “abortion reversal pills”
Last May, Dr Dermot Kearney was banned from providing the treatment after complaints were made by abortion provider MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly known as Marie Stopes.)
Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said, “We congratulate Dr Kearney for standing strong throughout this 10 month ordeal, where he didn’t know whether or not he was going to be struck off as a doctor. But his bravery and heroism in saving unborn babies has now been vindicated.”
For any NHS doctor, bringing new life into the world is an extraordinary privilege. And for Dr Kearney, smiling fondly at the trio of babies gurgling happily by his side, the knowledge that he played a small but crucial role in their arrival is particularly poignant.
But these three infants may never have been born were it not for his courageous intervention. The battles their families – and Dr Kearney – have fought have been deeply personal as well as medical.
In each case their mothers had chosen to have an abortion using NHS pills to terminate the life of their unborn child.
Almost instantly, each of them became consumed with regret and desperate to reverse the process after taking the first of two “abortion pills” that sets it in motion.
Scouring the internet for an answer, they came across the details of Dr Kearney who, they discovered, was prescribing a hormone naturally found in the body which supports pregnancy. He became a saviour to them and their babies.
In just 12 months, the medic says the “abortion pill reversal” treatment has preserved the lives of up to 32 babies in the UK, and saved their mothers from a lifetime of potential turmoil at their decision.
Indeed, the babies' doting parents will forever be indebted to this softly spoken Irishman, who they describe as a lifesaver.
However, for this compassionate service – which he provided for no fee and which is deeply rooted in his Christian faith – Dr Kearney found himself subject to an investigation by the doctors' regulator, the General Medical Council, which could have seen him struck off.
Last May he was banned from providing the treatment after complaints were made by abortion provider MSI Reproductive Choices, formerly known as Marie Stopes.
But now the GMC has dropped all sanctions against the doctor – and will no longer pursue its investigation – after concluding that there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
It speaks volumes about Dr Kearney's approach that the GMC could find no women prepared to act as witnesses to complain about their treatment.
On the contrary, the watchdog was inundated with statements from those who praised his 'kind and caring' attitude at what was undoubtedly one of the worst moments of their lives.
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday in his first interview, Dr Kearney is 'delighted and relieved' to have been exonerated.
But there is frustration, too, at his lengthy ordeal and what he says amounted to an 'orchestrated campaign' against him by the abortion lobby.
He says: 'When I look at the babies, when I speak to the women and their partners, it brings tears to my eyes.
'None of the women I helped complained to the GMC, and none of the families either. The women themselves were all very grateful, even when it didn't work. I struggle to understand why some people oppose this treatment.
'I've been the target of an orchestrated campaign by the abortion industry to stop pro-life doctors like me from offering abortion pill reversal (APR) treatment.'
Much of the criticism points to the lack of clinical trial evidence proving the treatment that Dr Kearney provides is effective.
But cradling two babies in his arms, and gesturing to another nearby, he says: 'Look at the wonderful evidence – it's right here.'
The parents of the babies could not be clearer about the impact Dr Kearney has had on their lives.
For this compassionate service – which he provided for no fee and which is deeply rooted in his Christian faith – Dr Kearney found himself subject to an investigation by the doctors' regulator, the General Medical Council, which could have seen him struck off.
One young couple, whose backgrounds meant that having a baby out of wedlock was taboo, said it 'felt like Dr Kearney was our only friend'.
Their families' opposition, their age and financial situation meant they felt on a 'conveyor belt' towards a termination. But today, beaming alongside eight-month-old son Khalid, they say the treatment was 'the best decision we've made'.
Another mother, cradling ten-month-old Sonny, said: 'Without Dr Kearney we wouldn't have him, this beautiful life. We didn't even know Dr Kearney was Christian until months later.'
Her partner added: 'He even offered to pay £70 for a private scan. To find there was such kindness in the world was phenomenal. It felt so selfless I cried.'
It's stories like these which inspire father-of-two Dr Kearney, 56, to provide his unusual service: 'I just believe human life is sacred, regardless of the religious context. And I believe it's there from conception', he said.
He and a colleague started offering a treatment to 'reverse' medical abortions shortly before the Government gave the green light to an NHS 'pills by post' service in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
It meant women could be assessed by telephone instead of in person, which led to concerns more would opt to go through with the procedure without thinking it through. It is not yet clear if this has increased the number of abortions overall.
Women within the first ten weeks of pregnancy are sent two pills to take 24 to 48 hours apart.
The first pill, mifepristone, causes the uterine wall which harbours the unborn baby to break down and the second pill, misoprostol, stimulates contractions to expel the dead baby.
Dr Kearney began offering 'abortion reversal' – a progesterone pill taken daily for up to three weeks –after checking that medical authorities did not object. Most women found him by searching online for ways to reverse an abortion, and finding a US pro-life organisation which put them in touch.
'Most were anxious, nervous and apprehensive,' he said. 'They were talking to a stranger about such a personal matter, and wanted to know their prospects for success.
'I never gave any guarantees it would work, and outlined the risks.'
Of the 150 or so women who enquired about APR, 65 went on to take a full course of progesterone.
Of those, 32 had healthy babies. Dr Kearney claims this amounts to a success rate of almost 50 per cent – saying this roughly doubles the chances offered by the NHS 'watch and wait' approach if poorly designed studies are disregarded.
Dr Kearney's wife Mary described his dedication. He would often come home after a hospital shift, mobile clasped to his ear, talking to women 'in a desperate state' and trying to find their nearest open pharmacy to maximise their chances of success, she said.
'He is such a careful doctor, and so caring,' she said.
Dr Kearney admits that it hasn't been easy. He almost gave up in the early days after the treatment failed for three women in a row.
'The hardest were those where the pregnancy persisted, only to perish a couple of weeks later,' he recalls.
The GMC began investigating Dr Kearney early last year following a complaint by pro-abortion MSI's medical director, Dr Jonathan Lord.
He claimed Dr Kearney had 'imposed his personal beliefs' on two patients and that, as president of the UK Catholic Medical Association, it was 'highly unlikely he could offer objective, impartial advice'.
Dr Kearney was left 'perplexed' by the claims, which he says were both 'unfair and untrue'.
In the end, the GMC's case was dropped due to lack of evidence after no patients made a complaint and one said she was 'blown away by his kindness'.
Today, Dr Kearney says he is 'disappointed' the GMC took action against him in the first place. He said: 'The abortion lobby tried to use the GMC to shut us down. But the case clarified that what we were doing isn't a question of misconduct.'
Andrea Williams, chief executive of lobby group Christian Concern, whose Christian Legal Centre has supported Dr Kearney's case, described the medic as 'heroic', saying: 'We are delighted that justice has been served for this brilliant and compassionate doctor.'
Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life concluded, “This vindication of Dr Kearney, and of the ‘abortion pill reversal’ treatment, has strengthened our resolve to help women who have taken the first abortion pill but regretted it. We are now in the process of enquiring how the treatment can best be provided to women in Northern Ireland.”
See also: Dailymail.co.uk - How NHS consultant beat campaign to have him struck off for abortion reversals