Pastor Isaac Fetterhoff still remembers his wife Anna’s face when she came to him with the test results.
They had recently found out they were expecting baby number five. At first, Isaac felt overwhelmed. Two boys. Two girls. No more room in the van. Not much room in the bank account. In his mind, their family was complete.
But then the excitement began to grow.
He even grabbed a tape measure to see if five car seats could fit in their van.
Then Anna came to him with a somber expression.
“You know those tests I had done?” she said. “I got the results. Everything looks fine except for one thing.”
Their baby had Down syndrome.
Isaac was stunned.
He is honest about that first moment. He said if anyone could have abortion in their heart, he did in that brief, shocked instant. His mind raced years into the future. What would life look like? What would this mean for their family?
It was not his finest moment.
“You have got to be kidding me,” he blurted out.
But that moment was not the end of the story.
It became the beginning of a journey with God.
Over time, the Lord began to still Isaac’s fears. Anxiety gave way to peace. Peace gave way to joy. Joy gave way to genuine excitement for the little boy who would soon enter their family.
In January 2024, Finley Charles was born, and the Fetterhoffs welcomed him with joy.
“Anybody who spends five minutes with my son feels and sees his immense joy,” Isaac said. “He is one of the most content people on the planet.”
Finley has changed their family.
Isaac says having a son with delays has slowed life down in a way they never expected. Their children are learning compassion. Their church family is learning to see the beauty and dignity of those the world often overlooks. Isaac is learning that God’s plans are not only different from ours, they are better.
That is what makes the abortion statistics surrounding Down syndrome so heartbreaking. Studies estimate that in the United States, a majority of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb are aborted.
For Isaac, this is no longer an abstract issue.
This is Finley.
This is his son.
Pastor Isaac is a Love Life partnering pastor who recently shared his family’s story at a prayer walk, helping the Church see the beauty, dignity, and value of every child in the womb.
“There are so many misconceptions,” Isaac said. “We want people to know he is not a mistake. He doesn’t need healing. I have realized I would not have it, or him, any other way.”
This is why the Church must be present.
When fear says, “You cannot do this,” the Church must be there to say, “You are not alone.”
Join us at an upcoming prayer walk and help bring hope, help, and the love of Christ to families facing life and death decisions.Find a prayer walk near you: https://lovelife.org/locations/