Indiana family celebrates birth of conjoined twins

Jan. 22, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS (UMNS) - United Methodists "in hundreds of churches" are joining in prayers for conjoined twins Stephanie Nicole and Rebecca Marie, born to April and Rocky McCray on Jan. 20 at St. Vincent's Hospital.

UMNS photo � Clint Keller. Rocky McCray kisses his wife, April, after the birth of their conjoined daughters.

The Rev. John Boyanowski and his wife, Marsha, are maternal grandparents of the babies. Boyanowski is the pastor of Pleasant Lake United Methodist Church, which the McCrays attend.

"Never underestimate God," Boyanowski said, as he, his wife and members of the church surrounded the young couple in celebrating the birth of their granddaughters.

April, 18, and Rocky, 19, learned in August they would be parents to a rare type of conjoined twins called dicephalus, which means they have separate heads. The babies are joined from the shoulder to below, and they share two legs and two normal arms. The twin's remaining arms are fused together around their heads.

The young couple named the babies as soon as they learned of their condition so they could pray for them by name. The twins were born seven and a half months into term and weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces.

"The doctor reports are not very good," said the Rev. Larry Ray, superintendent of the Fort Wayne District, where Boyanowski serves. Ray is in continual contact with the family.

Ray reported the family is not expecting the conjoined twins to live long and has planned for no life support. "They're wanting to make a witness out of this," Ray said. "They're putting this in God's hands."

Boyanowski has kept the district updated on the progress of the babies, so Ray and the other clergy members of the Fort Wayne District have known of the pending birth for months. The district sent out requests for prayer for the families after learning of the pregnancy.

"They have hundreds praying with them all over the state and the nation," Ray said.

"April is an amazing young woman," said the Rev. Rob Barton, a family friend and pastor at Huntertown United Methodist Church. The Boyanowskis were once members of Huntertown.

"She is able to hold joy and sorrow together at the same time without falling apart," he said. "Her demeanor through this whole thing reveals an inner strength I cannot imagine an 18-year-old having."

UMNS photo � Clint Keller Conjoined twins Stephanie Nicole (left) and Rebecca Marie born to April and Rocky McCray on Jan. 20 in Indianapolis.

The parents are doing well, Boyanowski said. "Their faith in God has brought them through all of this. They keep telling everyone God has a purpose for this."

As a father, he said he just stands back and watches God's grace unfold in April and Rocky's lives, as the two have experienced more than most couples do in 20 years.

"As a pastor, I stand back in awe." He baptized Stephanie and Rebecca shortly after their births. He also baptized Rocky after the couple found out their babies were conjoined.

The conjoined twins were breathing on their own as of Jan. 22, but were hooked up to feeding tubes because they were in the stage where babies learn to suck, eat and swallow.

"They're doing remarkably well. They are so amazing," Boyanowski said.

"We do have a flood of emotions," he said. "With every moment, there is good and bad.

"We want to embrace every moment with the girls. We've been holding them since they were born. We just have not put them down."

A spokesperson at the hospital reported the babies were still in critical condition. It was unclear when April would be released from the hospital, but she hoped to bring the babies home with her when she leaves.

Members of Pleasant Lake United Methodist Church, which averages 75 in attendance a week, have rallied around the family. They have encouraged Boyanowski to take as much time off as needed.

The Sunday before the babies were born, Jan. 18, the Boyanowskis were called forward by the church and presented with a love offering and keys to a van.

Pleasant Lake and Huntertown churches are planning benefit dinners and fundraisers to help with expenses for the twins. "They've surrounded us with prayer and accepted April and Rocky since the beginning," Boyanowski said.

April and Rocky live with the Boyanowskis in Fort Wayne. Furniture and baby-supply shopping will be done shortly, since the family did not know what to expect or how long the girls would survive. "We didn't know what to expect," Boyanowski said. "Now the dream is coming to reality."

When he first found out the twins were conjoined, he thought of Psalm 46, which reminds us of how God is a refuge and strength in all times, he said.

"We're seeing church congregations coming together. We're seeing families come together." Boyanowski said strangers have stopped family members to wish them well and express prayer support. "Everyone's in unison praying for two little girls," he said. "How can you not be encouraged and see how God's hand is in this?

"I know Sunday, if they're going to be home, they're going to church. We're going to live normal lives as much as we can."

Matthew Oates, North Indiana correspondent for the Indiana Area Office of the United Methodist Church, Dan Gangler, Indiana Area communications director, and United Methodist News Service writer Kathy L. Gilbert contributed to this story.  News media can contact Gilbert at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

Related Article Prayers answered; conjoined twins born (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)