“There’s an opportunity to be a sign of contradiction and a sign of hope,” says Jeff. “The most evident way we can express our hope in society is by having children. It demonstrates not just our hope in God but hope in our country and in the goodness of life.”
MORE SACRIFICE, MORE MERCY
After a miscarriage very early in their marriage, Justina ’13 and Matt Kopp ’14 learned in their next pregnancy that they would need to prepare a little more room than expected, four times more. Justina was pregnant with quads. “I had this realization: ‘I am five people right now,’” says Justina, “and the importance of recognizing all of us as unique people.” And from the beginning, even before their children were born, the Kopps have been intentional about recognizing each of their children as individuals. “We want to really stress that as parents,” Justina says, “to see them as individuals and not just lump them together as ‘the quads.’” Because the pregnancy was high- risk, the Kopps were advised to terminate two of their children.
The Kopp family during their first trip as a family of six to visit relatives in Kenya.
“The doctors kept talking about the dangers to my health and my safety,” Justina says, “There was never any discussion about the very obvious danger to these two children whose lives they were going to take.”
The Kopps told their doctors, “We want to hear your plan for four healthy babies and one healthy mamma.” “You always hear about the sacrifice that it requires to be parents,”
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