functions. Seven weeks later, the babies – a boy and a girl – were
delivered by emergency C-section. After a few weeks in the
NICU, they went home thriving.
circumstances threatened to overwhelm the Ashes, until they
met Jo-Anne Mastor, a retired nurse turned volunteer.
“I’ve had two brain surgeries, so I could talk them through the
procedure,” she explains.
The Ashes still stay in touch with Jo-Anne. She regularly
receives pictures and texts and also attended the twins’
christening – a testament to how much Jo-Anne, or “Saint Jo,”
as the Ashes call her, means to the happy family.
When John tearfully asked her, “What if I never get to see my
babies’ faces?” she had an answer for that as well. “I was able to
get Stacy booked for a 3-D ultrasound at the pregnancy center
where I also volunteer so John could ‘see’ his babies before
surgery.” Those pictures would be a turning point for John.
“Once I saw those pictures, I knew I had to fight for my babies,”
he says.
Jo-Anne was at the couple’s side for the surgery, which was
successful. Not only was the tumor benign, but John’s recovery
was nothing short of a miracle, with no loss of sight or other
25 ((0