Malta prohibits abortion under any circumstances.

Americans Andrea Prudente and her partner Jay Weeldreyer were on their babymoon - 16 weeks pregnant with a little girl.

"We aren't interested in being activists, but having gone through this experience, it's one of those things where really clearly there is a right thing in some circumstances that really there's no debate on it.

And I guess that it's really kind of hammered home for me the importance of either changing the definitions, either this is a medical continuation of a miscarriage, or making sure that there are carve outs, at the very least to protect the lives of women," Weeldreyer said.

After days of talking to their midwife back in America, as well as a few whispers from hospital staff in Malta, Weeldreyer and Prudente were able to work with their insurance company to organize an emergency flight with a doctor to a nearby country where Prudente will be able to get the lifesaving operation.

And in some ways it's relief and in some ways it's terror.

People have strong feelings around the concept of abortion, and I know there aren't any answers, but this is the kind of thing that I think people should look at and really question their beliefs," he said.

"And the thing that had occurred to us since then also is imagine what it's like to contemplate getting pregnant if you happen to be a woman in Malta.

Weeldreyer and Prudente are due to take a flight to Majorca and they are hoping Prudente will be able to have the lifesaving medical procedure in the next 24 hours