Hopson Quads

[Guest guest]

Hopson quadruplets: 5x4 [References to autism; gluten-free diet; other

dietary restrictions]

 

By Lisa Snedeker

Staff writer

http://www.fayettevillenc.com

 

Allen Hopson whispers encouragement and a goodnight to his daughter,

Elizabeth, before at bedtime Wednesday night. Below, Phillip Hopson gets a

vitamin B-12 shot from his mother, Debbie, who says she believes it helps

alleviate symptoms of his autism.

 

Debbie Hopson will start today the same way she starts every day.

 

It goes something like this: Get up at 5:45 a.m. Take a shower and get

dressed. Empty the dishwasher and start breakfast. Wake up 10-year-old

Sarah. Read the Bible and pray. Then take a deep breath and get ready for

the day ahead.

 

Because at 7 a.m. the floodgates open and tumbling out of their rooms come

four dark-headed, squealing, giggling bundles of energy, better known as

Elizabeth, Phillip, Caroline and Katherine.

 

Today is special because the Hopson quadruplets - the only set to be born at

Cape Fear Valley Medical Center - are celebrating their fifth birthday.

They'll have cupcakes with their classmates at Village Baptist Preschool,

" and we'll probably let them open their presents from us, " Debbie said.

A party is planned for Saturday afternoon, and it includes many a child's

version of nirvana - a bounce house. Each child will have his or her own

cake, baked and decorated by mom.

 

Phillip is getting more Thomas the Tank Engine accessories, Katherine a My

Little Pony, Caroline a Little Mermaid doll and Elizabeth a Weebles bus.

" The girls are getting their first real baby dolls from my mom, and Phillip

is getting Lincoln Logs and Tinkertoys, " Debbie said. " He's my little

engineer. He can figure out how to put something together in two seconds. "

 

Figuring out how to keep order among the chaos created by four 5-year-olds

takes a little longer and a lot more planning.

But the Hopsons manage by sticking to an almost militaristic timetable.

 

" It's an assembly line at bath time or in the morning after breakfast, "

Debbie said. " Each one has to go into the bathroom to go potty, brush teeth

and wash hands. "

 

So how are they different from any other large family?

 

" The difference between us and another family with five kids is that theirs

are stair-stepped and the older ones can look after the younger ones, "

Debbie said. " We've got four kids who are still dependent. They are becoming

more independent, and we are training them to be independent. The goal is to

get to that point. "

 

During every stage and milestone, the Hopsons have to go through them times

four.

 

How do they handle it?

 

" I go to work and have a good wife, " Allen said with a chuckle.

Four evenings a week, Debbie lays out four shirts, four pairs of pants and

four sets of shoes.

" I do it the night before because I haven't got the time in the morning, "

she said.

 

Most of the time, the children dress themselves, Debbie said, although she

still has to help Elizabeth and Phillip.

But Debbie consistently manages to get four sets of teeth brushed and four

heads of hair combed and out the door by 8 and buckled into their Suburban,

one of the few vehicles large enough to hold this crew. Sarah is shuttled to

school by Allen.

 

Autism diagnoses surge in state, nation

The quadruplets are in the same class at school, where they have thrived,

according to their assistant preschool teacher, Rachel Drullard.

" It was a little overwhelming at first, but the biggest thing I enjoy about

them is their differences, " she said.

 

Drullard describes Caroline as quiet and reserved, while Katherine is bubbly

and outgoing. Phillip is funny and likes to quote scenes from movies, and

Elizabeth either loves someone to pieces or doesn't like someone at all.

" She has come leaps and bounds this year. She's very smart. They are all

very smart. "

 

When the quadruplets aren't in class, they are missed, Drullard said.

" They add such a great dynamic to the classroom. "

 

Living with autism

One of the biggest challenges the Hopsons face is that Phillip and Elizabeth

are moderately autistic. Diagnosed when they were 2, they require therapy

and special vitamin supplements as part of a treatment plan devised by their

doctor in Florida.

 

Elizabeth has been placed on a gluten-free diet, which poses a challenge at

dinner time. Elizabeth can't have peanuts, milk, wheat or eggs, which means

trips to the specialty food store and almond butter with honey instead of

peanut butter and jelly like her siblings.

 

" When I make grilled cheese sandwiches, I have to use goat cheese for

Elizabeth's, which is white, " Debbie said. " And she'll say, 'Mommy, I want

yellow cheese like the others.' "

 

Elizabeth no longer shares a room with her sisters because she was too

disruptive. She sleeps in what used to be the dining room; a camera

installed in the corner watches over her.

 

" She needs a quiet, controlled environment, " Debbie said.

 

While Elizabeth hasn't been aggressive with children at school, a hole

punched through the pink wall of her bedroom is physical evidence of her

frustration.

" It would be awesome if we could get these behaviors with Elizabeth under

control, although we have already seen a dramatic change from a year ago, "

Debbie said. " She loves school. "

 

Disciplining four 5-year-olds, two of whom have autism, is a challenge,

Debbie said.

" It adds a whole new dimension, " she said.

 

Despite the many challenges facing the family, Allen says repeatedly what a

blessing the quadruplets have been to them.

" The pressure is intense, " he said. " But I just say, 'Lord, you are in

control,' and I will not complain. It's difficult, but we are going to trust

in Him. "

 

After having Sarah, the couple tried unsuccessfully for five years to have

more children using fertility treatments. After the heartbreak of two

miscarriages, they adopted four frozen embryos from the Colorado Center for

Reproductive Medicine. The embryos were implanted in Debbie Hopson's uterus,

and on March 9, 2001, she gave birth to the quadruplets, about one minute

apart and two months prematurely.

 

The chance of having four babies? Less than 1 percent, experts say.

The Hopsons are open with the children about the fact that they have no

genetic connection to their parents. Allen and Debbie tell the children they

are adopted because, they say, they don't want to keep any secrets from

them.

 

At the end of the day

The Hopsons still need a lot of helping hands, although not quite as or many

as they used to.

 

Debbie's father, Walter Kenny, moved to Fayetteville from Florida a couple

of years ago to help. He often takes Sarah to ballet or picks her up from

school and makes grocery store runs for Debbie. Pam and Wally Ainsworth

still come over every Tuesday to help at bath time, while Trudy delToro

helps at least once a month. Renae Rice and Rena Gillis are brave enough to

watch all four of the children overnight, giving Debbie and Allen a break.

In addition to being a ballet instructor for her younger sisters, Sarah acts

like a little mother to her siblings.

 

''Sarah is a big help, " Debbie said.

Every evening, after Phillip and Elizabeth have finished therapy, dinner has

been eaten, baths taken and pajamas donned, the Hopsons have quiet time.

Allen brings out his guitar and the family sits on the floor and sings

" Jesus Loves Me " and other hymns, reads a Bible story and prays together.

Each child gets a turn strumming the guitar, and sometimes Phillip breaks

into a rousing solo of " Amazing Grace. "

 

Allen then tucks each of the children into bed and whispers how much he

loves them and how special they are.

" I whisper to them to make sure I have their attention, and I feel like I

have really communicated with them, " he said.

A few chores later and maybe a little television, it's off to bed for mom

and dad to start another round tomorrow.

" I don't stop during the day, " Debbie says. " I'm usually in bed by 10 p.m.

because I can't keep my eyes open. "

 

Assistant features editor Lisa Snedeker can be reached at

snedekerl