THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 26, 1996 TAG: 9603260322
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LINDA MCNATT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CARROLLTON LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Seeing was believing for Darin Jones when a 1995 van big enough to hold all his children pulled into the driveway of his two-bedroom mobile home.
The white Ford was the latest of a number of surprises in Jones' life in the past several months.
He's the father of quadruplets born on Valentine's Day at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News. Before that, Jones and his wife, Angela, were the parents of one daughter. The quads were conceived naturally, without the aid of fertility drugs.
On March 8, the Joneses, who own a small house-cleaning business in Isle of Wight County, had to borrow a van to bring the babies home.
There had been a flood of community support for the young family - diapers, food and clothing. But the Joneses needed a bigger car and a larger house.
The van, donated by an anonymous Richmond-area resident, came with no strings attached. Taxes, titling, transfer fees and insurance were paid for a full year.
``They pulled into the driveway about 1 p.m. Saturday,'' Jones said. ``We couldn't believe it. I had leased a seven-passenger van, but even that wasn't big enough. Once we loaded the babies in, there was only one bench left, and that was for my mother-in-law.''
The Richmond donor was among more than 650 callers to the hospital who made offers to help the couple, said Bud Ramey, Riverside's public relations director.
``The donor was very specific and thoughtful in the selection of a perfect vehicle for the children,'' Ramey said. ``The donor found the 12-passenger van desired through a Ford dealer in Jarratt, Va.''
It was delivered to the hospital, whose employees then surprised the Joneses with it. The vehicle's list price is $26,000.
The babies - Kameron, Karon, Khalil and Karlyle - are gaining weight, thriving, their father said. But it takes several people to keep up with their needs.
``It makes no sense to even try to go to bed at night,'' he said, sighing. ``Somebody's going to be awake at some point.''
Jones said family members have been staying with them to help with the quads since they came home from the hospital, but the mobile home has no extra space for outsiders.
``Maybe we can go ahead a little faster now with getting another house,'' he said. ``If we had a bigger place, maybe my mother-in-law could move in. The van really helps us begin to catch up.''
And it helps with their mobility.
``You don't go out much with four babies,'' Jones said, laughing. ``Now, at least, we have something we can all get into at the same time.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color drawing
KEYWORDS: QUADRUPLETS by CNB