"Advise termination of pregnancy."

These words were written on the medical records only a few hours after my wife had been admitted to the hospital, having had four grand mal seizures within 48 hours. She had never had seizures before. We already had two children, a girl who was normal and a boy who was mildly mentally handicapped. We had only recently begun to think that she was expecting again. And now this!

Steve Casey's son, Robert, is shown with his wife Lauren at their wedding.

Upon entering the hospital we told the medical personnel that she may be pregnant to ensure that they would take all the needed precautions. The pregnancy was soon confirmed.

The neurologist, who was treating the seizures, called in an obstetrician to handle the pregnancy. It was during this transition that the words "advise termination of pregnancy" came to our attention. Because of the seizures and the large doses of medicine my wife would have to take, there would be a much greater chance of birth defects, we heard.

But the obstetrician never got the opportunity to give the advice because our decision had been made long before the problem faced us personally. This was a child inside her womb and was to be treated with all the respect and care that a human being could possibly receive. Life was a gift from God, and it was not to be disposed of just because it may not be perfect. We would face whatever might come.

As we expressed our views, the doctor listened silently. The nurse standing beside him began to cry. Later, she told us that she had never heard anyone talk like that, with so much respect for an unborn child.

So we began the months of facing the possibility that things might not be just right for the new addition to our family. The seizures were now under control, but things seemed different in this pregnancy. A month before the due date we were informed that something was different - something that occurs in about one in a hundred pregnancies. It was news that put me into a temporary state of shock.

What was it? Simply this - our new addition was double. We were going to have twins!

On Oct. 9, 1980, Robin, 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and Robert, 7 pounds, 8 ounces, were born. That's 15 pounds, 1 ounce of perfectly healthy babies! Even with all the trauma of rearing four children to adulthood in today's society, I am still glad we didn't follow that medical advice. The gift of life is too precious to throw away.

THIRTY-FOUR YEARS LATER: Robin and her husband are now working with a home for abused and neglected children. They have two boys, ages 16 and 9, and last year gave us our newest grandchild by adopting a daughter from the home where they work. She is now 18.

Robert is a financial adviser for a major financial institution. He has a wonderful wife and plans for children.

God has rewarded right choices, even when they were hard choices to make.