Thankful for quads, much more

Maybe it does take a village — or several villages — to raise healthy, happy children. At least Tina Moore thinks so.

She and her husband, Aaron, said it's almost impossible to express their thanks for their quadruplets, the answer to their dream of becoming parents, and for the hundreds of family members and friends — and even strangers — who have given up so much this past year to help them.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the Omaha couple want to try.

“Where do we begin?” Tina asks.

She answers her own question. “I want to thank Aaron. It sounds stupid, I know, but he's my rock, my best friend.”

Then she starts over. “First and foremost, I want to thank God.”

Aaron jumps in. “He gave us the strength to deal with four babies. He prepared us for this.”

When they try to express what they feel they owe Tina's parents, Janice and Gary Schrage of Sloan, Iowa, Tina's eyes well with tears.

“My mom gave up her own life for the first six months,” Tina says. “She lived our dream. She lived our lives with us.”

Tina takes a breath. “And thanks to my dad for letting Mom come to us. They sacrificed as much as we did.”

Aaron's parents, Rich and Mimi Moore, were another constant. Although they work full time, they also come to Omaha from Sloan, which is about 20 miles south of Sioux City, at least every other weekend.

Tina and Aaron have thought a lot about thank-yous. They're sure they can never repay what has been given them, but they will try someday, when they are in a position to give back or help others.

“I get emotional just thinking about it,” Tina says of the gratitude she feels. “I can never have the right or enough words to thank people. So at night, when I'm feeling guilty for the time people give to us, I can only pray that God will let them know.”

Extended family has been important. Tina says her brothers, Michael and Scott, and Scott's girlfriend, Samantha Richey, have spent many hours in Omaha. Aaron's brother, Paul, also comes when he can.

Tina and Aaron's grandparents stay in touch, Robert and Marie Schrage through letters, George and Elayne Moore through e-mails. Other family members on both sides are always checking on them, running errands, offering words of support.

Tina says her cousin Abbey Schindler is the sister she never had. When Tina went into the hospital on Dec. 7 last year, her cousin stayed with her five nights a week. After the babies were born Jan. 20, Abbey came every weekend and some weekdays for the first three months, and she still comes to Omaha a couple of times a week. Even now, she does almost all their grocery shopping.

The couple are grateful for Dr. Andrew Robertson, the obstetrician who ushered the quads into the world at Methodist Hospital. The staff at Children's Hospital & Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit took care of the newborns for the first months of their lives. Aaron says they gave such great care that he and Tina could go home at night knowing they were leaving their children safe and in good hands.

Tina calls Dr. Clancy McNally a great pediatrician. “He is so patient with us.”

Dr. Mark Puccioni successfully operated on Jack to put a shunt in his head to drain fluid from his brain. And the Children's Helmet Clinic also has been helpful with Jack.

Early on, nursing students from Iowa Western Community College earned some of their community service credits by working with the family. Aaron's co-workers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the VA Medical Center would take overnight shifts to give the couple a chance to get some sleep, and held book and money drives for them.

Since the babies came home, a steady stream of volunteers has been on hand to help out. Now there are two nannies, Allyson Plagman and Katie McCloud, who come in during the day. In addition to Abbey Schindler, there are eight volunteers who work different weekday evenings: Kelly Riibe, Kari Dorsey, Jen Mackling, Mitch Gerth, Jessica Balfour, Andrea Horne, Becky Balfour and Pam Squier.

Squier learned about the family through a World-Herald story and offered her services. Now she is a good friend and like a grandmother to the kids, Tina says.

Riibe, who was helping out on a recent Thursday evening, is a friend from junior high. She was a member of the Moores' wedding party, and now is a part of their family. Although she has a toddler of her own, she looks forward to spending time with the quadruplets. “It's fun and soothing to come here,” she says.

The Omaha school district has been supportive from the beginning, too. The Moores have come to depend on the friendship and advice of therapists Renee Kamp and Jennifer Brummund and teacher Lisa Howard. “They've been great in telling us what to expect. They're wonderful people,” Tina says.

When Tina was a teenager, she baby-sat Abby and Katie Belvin. Now Abby and Katie come here and help Tina. “It just shows things go full circle,” Tina says.

Then there are the strangers, some who touched the Moores' lives briefly, others who have become friends.

Not only their hometown of Sloan, but also communities such as Salix, Hornick, Smithland, Whiting and Onawa, Iowa, and Elgin, Neb., have had diaper drives, baby showers and fundraisers for them. Mostly these are people the Moores have never met and probably never will.

There are the local parents of triplets, who shared what life would be like with a bunch of babies. They helped before the babies' birth and continue to do so.

Because of The World-Herald's series of stories, the Moores have heard from strangers who want to offer help or advice. People such as a couple who gave them a four-baby stroller, which they call “fantastic.” People such as Shawn Williams, owner of BounceU, who read that Tina and Aaron wanted to have a big first birthday party for the quads in January and offered his venue for the party, free.

The four recipients of all this love and largesse are happy and healthy 10-month-olds. They are easy to tell apart: Jack, of course, is the one with the helmet, which he doesn't seem to mind. Grace is very feminine. Joseph looks a lot like his dad. Noah is still the smallest at 15 pounds, but also the feistiest.

Noah had a short bout with the flu a couple of weeks ago, requiring two nights at the hospital for observation, but he bounced right back.

“We're so thankful for their health,” Tina says, adding that they continue to do everything possible to fight the spread of germs in the house.

“We're fanatics about Clorox wipes,” she says with a laugh.

The quads are all sitting and rolling over with no problem, and Grace almost has crawling figured out. Joseph and Jack just got their first teeth. They all jabber a lot and seem to recognize one another. Best of all, they all have ready smiles.

“I pray with the kids and already talk to them about how blessed we are and how much they are truly loved,” Tina says. “That to me is so special.”

Yes, one Omaha household has a great deal to celebrate on sThanksgiving.

Contact the writer:

444-1067, carol.bicak@owh.com

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