Group shares laughs, inspiration at Hope For Life Pregnancy Center fall fundraiser

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

An in-person and virtual crowd spent Sunday evening listening to inspirational messages and “dad jokes” at the annual Hope For Life Pregnancy Center fall fundraiser.

Guest speaker for the evening was JJ Jasper, a radio personality for American Family Radio who has a morning talk show that reaches about 200 stations in 36 states, as well as being a best-selling author and comedian.

Hope For Life Director Gayle Opp noted that 2020 had been challenging for the center, and for her family personally, as their 13-year-old daughter, Gracie, had undergone open-heart surgery just two weeks earlier.

“But praise God, she is doing well and she is recovering at home right now,” Opp said.

Likewise, the center has faced some challenges because of COVID-19, but the community has responded whenever they needed help, she said.

“We really missed out on lots of hugs and lots of baby kisses,” because of social distancing, Opp said, “but other than that we just kinda went on as best as we could.”

The center has been able to continue prenatal and parenting classes, including by putting them online, but more importantly, she said, it has continued Bible study.

“Most of all we need to show the girls the Bible and we need to show them how much Jesus loves them and how that is going to fulfill them,” Opp said.

She said people donate items such as diapers and baby wipes when needed, help fix things around the office, and donated enough to purchase a new ultrasound machine when one was needed to replace an old “dinosaur” that no longer functioned adequately.

“You have followed through and you have provided and you have done well,” Opp said. “We are seeing things come back to normal.”

Jasper started out his talk by telling several jokes that often elicited as many groans as laughs.

“There was a mix-up of pills on the kitchen counter this morning,” he said. “But don’t worry. It looks like I’m not gonna have to worry about heartworms for the next 90 days.”

He also told about the Spanish magician who was going to count to three then disappear.

“He started counting, uno, dos, and he disappeared without a tres.”

“It’s gonna be a long night,” Jasper acknowledged.

After many more jokes and stories, Jasper shared the story of his family and the death of his 5-year-old son, Cooper, in a freak accident, that was the source of one of his books, “Losing Cooper: Finding Hope to Grieve Well,” as well as the birth of their twin daughter and son, and telling their other daughters that their new brother had Down syndrome.

“I said, ‘Hey, uh, Daddy’s got some bad news to tell you about the twins.’ I said, ‘The boy has Down syndrome.’”

“Maddie said, ‘Oh, I love kids with down syndrome. They’re so full of joy. They’re so huggable and just so adorable.’

“And Sadie said, ‘I’m so glad he was born into our family because we’re gonna love him unconditionally and he’ll love us the same.’

“And then the next thing that Maddie said was, ‘But wait, dad, you said you had bad news.’”

“That’s why we’re here tonight, because every baby has a story to be told and every life is beautiful,” Jasper told the group at the Youth Enrichment Center at the Floyd County Fairgrounds and those watching the program streamed live on The Bridge Church Facebook page.

“I’m so thankful that you have a heart for the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death,” he said. “All of these babies need to be loved and protected.”