Foster family finds hope through tough trials
BRAMPTON, ON—Andrea and Kirk Foster always wanted a large family. They already had two young children when Andrea gave birth to twin girls in the summer of 2003. The family was happy and busy.
Then when twins Annie and Audrey were just five months old, doctors diagnosed a genetic disability that completely changed the family's lives.
"This isn't what we expected at all," says Andrea. "We knew we had to hire some help for when they were newborns, and it was actually one of the respite workers who was holding Annie when she had her first seizure."
Following a CT scan, Annie was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), a rare genetic condition that causes non-cancerous tumours, seizures and developmental delays.
"That's all I heard, 'it was genetic,'" Foster says. "On the verge of tears I asked, 'Are you aware we have another baby at home who is her identical twin?' I've never seen doctors let their faces drop like that. Three weeks later Audrey started having seizures too."
TSC is a spectrum disorder. Some cases have almost no impact on the individual, but Annie and Audrey's cases are severe. The twins were put on powerful steroids for five weeks. The treatment stopped the seizures, but left them agitated, depleted their immune systems and caused rapid weight gain.
"Then we started a season of them being insomniacs. At that point I was angry with God. The girls were up, I was crying and shaking my fist at God and I said, 'this is more than I can handle.' All of a sudden I felt God say, 'open your fist, open your Bible and read my truth.'"
Foster decided to use the long night hours proactively. She studied the Bible and connected with struggling moms online. Even hearing Scripture and worship on Hillsong Kids DVDs, night after night, brought strength.
"I realized the value of having Scripture in my life every day. Once the girls were up, I knew it would be an hour or two before they went back to bed, so I would open my Bible. It changed how we are in our house."
Julie Crawford, director of children's ministry at the Fosters' church, says through her struggles Foster has grown closer to God.
"She is stronger because of the situation," Crawford says, "but it's through Christ working in her. [The Fosters'] marriage has been strengthened, their kids are kind-hearted and empathetic to others. They are amazing examples of what it means to serve God despite your circumstances."
Now 10 years old, the girls' intellectual capacity is around the age of a two or three-year-old and they face a myriad of medical issues, including annual EEGs and MRIs. The Fosters cling to their faith to get through each day.
"We have experienced grief at the loss of dreams and face daily challenges as we raise children with special needs," Foster recently wrote in a Huffington Post article about the twins. "Supported by our family, our TSC family, researchers and doctors whose aim is to find a cure and more effective treatments, we are not without hope, help, or joy in the midst of our difficult circumstances.
"Our faith in God has given us peace, and we find strength from a seemingly illogical joy. It has been a long winter—a whole decade of dealing with TSC, and it's still snowing. Our winter is ongoing but we live in a season of hope."
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