A BACUP mum-of-three has pleaded with health bosses not to scrap vital medical services in East Lancashire after medics at a specialist baby unit saved her son's life.

Zoe Willcox, 33, gave birth to twin boys 15 weeks early in July and, although one did not survive the 'traumatic birth', Zoe said she would been left with nothing if it was not for the experts at Burnley.

The adult support worker said: "It's unbelievable what they can do. I feel really strongly that we need that service. They can't take it away.

"It's our babies' lives that could be taken away because of money , and it does nVot make sense."

The Lancashire Telegraph has launched a campaign to ensure critical hospital services are kept within East Lancashire.

Seven specialist services at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals, including the flagship NICU, could be threatened with closure as part of an ongoing regional NHS review.

Zoe added: "This is something that needs to be campaigned about. We can't let them take it away."

Zoe gave birth to Eli and Emmet when she was just 25 weeks into her pregnancy, on July 24.

They weighed just 1.7 and 1.2lbs respectively — each less than a bag of sugar.

But tragedy struck a month later when Emmet, named by Zoe's seven-year-old son Thomas, passed away.

Born with a hole in his heart and several other health problems, a cause of death has yet to be determined.

Zoe said: "He was only a month old, but we got to spend a month with him at least. We are lucky to have Eli at home too. Without Burnley we would have come home with nothing."

Zoe and her partner, Daniel Phythian, 34, said they endured a 'horrendous' time while medics in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Burnley fought to give Eli the best start in live.

He remained in Burnley hospital until just last month, being treated in an incubator and later with oxygen, when he was allowed home.

Zoe said: "We came home on the twins' due date. We were in there for 16 weeks. The nurses and doctors, even the cleaners, kept us going and helped us through.

"It was just a bad experience made so much easier with people like that.

"Not many babies born at 25 weeks come home without oxygen. Eli is a baby miracle."