The Deaths of Infant Twins

Because I am a mother of twins, I have followed with interest the court trial of Beverly Jean Ernst. She has been found guilty of felony child endangerment in the deaths of her infant twins and faces a maximum of seven years and two months in prison. I am hoping she will receive the lightest possible sentence.

In the face of this tragedy I hold the unpopular opinion that she was, as her attorney said, a victim of circumstances. Allow me to speak candidly about a subject many people feel qualified to discuss, but are not: the stress and logistics of caring for multiple births without any help.

So often well-meaning people make the assumption that having twins is just like having two children. It is, but mostly it isn’t. After having done all that you do for one baby, you do it again, whereas with two children, one would be at least nine months older.

Most people would not bother unstrapping two infants out of their car seats and carrying them while they stop at a roadside stand, pick up mail from a post office box or sign another child in and out of school.

The outcome of this trial has made me wonder if we’ll soon see the day when parents everywhere will be ticketed and fined for not immediately removing a child from a vehicle. Would you pay the fine? Would you pay seven years?

JAN GRAVIS

Costa Mesa