On today’s edition of Family Talk, Dr. James Dobson brings us an intimate, moving conversation with Carson and Tori Beach. As parents who have had their share of life-defining challenges, including a twin diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, Carson and Tori speak candidly about the trials and triumphs they’ve faced. Learn how they’ve navigated these circumstances through a deep, abiding faith in Christ, and how they hope to inspire other parents in similar situations.
Hello, everyone. You’re listening to Family Talk, a radio broadcasting ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Dr. James Dobson, and thank you for joining us for this program.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast ministry of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, and today we are continuing a moving conversation with Carson and Tori Beach, a couple who knows what it means to trust God through life’s most difficult seasons. After years of infertility, the Lord blessed Carson and Tori with twin daughters. But at just eight months old, both girls were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and one needed open-heart surgery at only 18 months of age. Well, through it all, their faith has only grown stronger. On the last edition of Family Talk, the Beaches were sharing with Gary Bauer about how they navigated their daughter’s diagnosis, a frightening brush with medical custody during COVID, and the personal encouragement they received from our founder, Dr. James Dobson. On today’s Family Talk broadcast, Carson and Tori are back to share how they are raising their girls to be bold witnesses for Christ, and they offer hope to other parents walking a similar road. Here now is Gary Bauer, our Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dobson Policy and Culture Center to continue this inspiring conversation on today’s edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Carson and Tori, it’s great to have you again. I’m excited to get back into this. And I think I have more questions than I had the last time we were together. So let’s jump right into it. Thanks for having us back, Gary. Did either you in those early months with the twins, was there anything in those first eight or nine months after they were born that raised questions in your mind? Something didn’t seem right or you wondered about it? Or was the diagnosis when it happened just completely like a bolt of lightning?
SPEAKER 02 :
It was a process. We had a few rounds of testing. We ended up, so cystic fibrosis is an inherited genetic disease where both parents are carriers. Carson is the carrier of the most common gene. I am the carrier of one of the rarest genes that’s not even on the cystic fibrosis gene panel. So we ended up having to go into gene sequencing to find it. So it was a process. But during that time, the girls seemed healthy, happy. And we had a few borderline tests, like do they have it or not, is what we were asking the doctors. And they’re like, we don’t know. So we knew there was a possibility of something in the background, but based on the lack of symptoms and how well they were doing, we were convinced they didn’t have it. So when the diagnosis came that, yes, indeed, they do have it, we were still trying to wrap our brains around the fact that this was our reality. We had a few people like Dr. Dobson lifting us up in prayer, our family, and I think that’s what really gave us peace and hope. You know, any time that you have mortality amplified in a family, for us, it was a great reflection to preach the gospel. We don’t know how long we have. We don’t know how long our kids have. It could be today. It could be in 20 years. But whatever the time we’re given, we need to preach the gospel, put Christ out there. And also what we’ve loved to do with the twins is we love reading Revelation. No matter what we’re facing, whether it’s health, financial, other kind of crazy, the Lord, we tell him all the time, Jesus is coming. And we want to put that at the forefront and override a lot of these hard circumstances. We don’t want to sugarcoat it. We’re very honest with the girls. If they ask questions, is this going to hurt? Yeah, it is. And I’m sorry. Let’s pray. And we’re going to get through this together. We don’t want to lie to them. We want them to know that some things in life are hard, but Christ can overcome that. And we can trust in Him. And we always tell them our hope and faith is in Jesus. And that really helps get them through the daily process of a lot of these medical things. We do daily treatments with them. Some of them are hard. And we don’t want to have a pity party or sympathy. We want to move forward and just say, you know what? We’ve got this. God’s got this. This is a God job. And we’re going to keep going. So we’ve tried to spin it around and just proclaim the truth of our Savior through this to people that we would have never come in contact with if we weren’t in this situation.
SPEAKER 01 :
And you’ll never know the ripple effects of the times you’ve shared the gospel with the people you’ve shared it with until we’re all with Dr. Dobson. You know, he’s probably seen now and knows all the ways the ripple effects of his books and ministry and radio shows. It must be an amazing, wondrous thing to know about all the lives that were touched. Now, what year were the girls born?
SPEAKER 1 :
2014.
SPEAKER 01 :
Okay. So I’m not a doctor, obviously, but there have been tremendous advances in treating cystic fibrosis. As far as I can recollect, if you had this affliction and were born in the 50s or the 60s or the 70s or the 80s or the 90s, the prognosis was not good. My understanding is it’s getting better and better with time. And the earlier the treatment begins, the better. So can you tell us about each of your twins now and what they are able to participate in and do? And is there a long-term prognosis that you can bank on or is it still day to day?
SPEAKER 02 :
We are very fortunate that we are in this timeframe where there are options. So they do breathing treatments every day. They do a nebulizer and a chest compression vest, and that’s to help prevent mucus from building up in the lungs. We feel like they have an amazing prognosis. Like you were saying years ago, A lot of children didn’t make it past the age of 12 or they were looking at double lung transplants in their 20s. One thing we do is we exercise every day. We’re trail runners and keeping their lungs open and exercise and healthy is one of the best things we can do for them. So just keeping them running around and doing as many things as possible is what’s going to keep their health going long term so that they do have the best possible run of this.
SPEAKER 01 :
Carson, when both of you have been talking about all you’ve had to deal with, we all know medical expenses and, you know, There’s so many people today that don’t even get married because they’re so worried about finances. How did you guys, I’m sure, you know, as far as I know, neither of you were wealthy when you got married. How did you deal with all the financial challenges? And, you know, how were you guided in that? Where did you look for advice and counsel?
SPEAKER 04 :
When we got married, it was 2007. And that was just at the eve of the real estate correction and real estate crash. And I actually got, I earned my PhD in DUMB and invested in highly leveraged property. And just after I got married, went through a foreclosure process. And I just vividly remember just praying each night, like, oh dear Lord, get me, get us out of this mess that we’re in. And my mom told me about this person, Dave Ramsey. So we met Dave Ramsey on the radio and got onto his Financial Peace University program. program and going through his steps, we were on a journey of financial peace and ultimately became debt free. Then seeing what we went through then and now is like, oh, goodness, that was just a blessing in disguise. It was a big wake up call. But the lessons and the fruit from going through that and being on a platform like Dave Ramsey’s was really grateful.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think the biggest thing that came out of that was how important it is to give and what a blessing it is to give and being able to give, especially to ministries like Family Talk. We’re so thankful that we’re able to be involved with that now.
SPEAKER 01 :
It really is true, isn’t it, that it’s more blessed to give than to receive, right? Yeah. Amen. Now, Tori, you also had your own medical challenges around that same time, right?
SPEAKER 02 :
So the first year we were married, my pancreas went out and I now have type 1 diabetes. That was during a stressful time with finances. Before this time, I thought I was the epitome of health. It turns out I wasn’t. I had three misdiagnoses and it landed me in the ER with blood sugars in the 1200s. So I had a crash course in what diabetes was. So thankful that the Lord allowed us to go through that pre twins so that I had kind of a foot in the door with the medical world. So I knew what questions to ask and I knew where to find the right person. answers. And I knew how to talk with insurance companies. And it was the Lord paving the way for us to be prepared for the medical challenges we had with our twins. And even though it was a hard road to go through at first, especially that first year, I’m thankful for it because it allowed me to put myself in the position of needing care. what that felt like, and also how much more we need to rely on the Lord for everything. There’s, there’s days that were a little more challenging and sometimes, um, through prayer, it’s okay to just have the prayer that says help. That’s my whole prayer help. And that’s okay. And so, uh, having those early on medical challenges also lined us up to know that medical is expensive. and how we need to budget and rework everything to be able to do that. We were saving for an adoption, which can be expensive, sadly, and that allowed us to cover a lot of these exorbitant co-pays for the twins’ surgeries, for a lot of my expenses that occur with my ongoing medical issues, and We can just say, you know, thank you, Lord, for walking us through that in the time frame you did so that we were ready for what you had for us in the future. And we’re just grateful that he brought us through that process.
SPEAKER 01 :
I’m sure other parents of special needs children have crossed paths with you. You’ve crossed paths with them. What would you say to anyone listening out there who may be pregnant now and looking forward to that blessed event and and may find out later that they’re going to be in this position or somebody that already is and is struggling with all the difficulties. From everything you said, it seems to me that without your faith and your knowledge that all of us, no matter any handicaps or whether it’s a newborn with Down syndrome or a 99-year-old with civility, we’re all made in the image of God and we have dignity, value, and worth because of that. So what kind of advice would you give to a parent that may be facing the same issues going in their lives in the months ahead?
SPEAKER 02 :
Prayer, a lot of prayer. And also just because there’s a diagnosis doesn’t mean it’s the end all of a life. You just tailor it to the one you have. And we’ve had hours of phone time on insurance companies, doctor’s visits. And I think one of the things I would want people to know is to enjoy your baby. It’s so easy to get caught up in the actual illness or all the things that go with that. As far as the time in offices, the time on the phone, hold your baby, enjoy them and be present with them because they’re a beautiful person made in the image of the Lord. And Focus on your relationship as a family with Christ. Focus on time with them. Don’t get caught up in the crazy schedule that medical can bring. Just make sure that you are present with your little person.
SPEAKER 04 :
For myself, yeah, enjoy your kids and just enjoy the moment where you’re at and put your hope and trust and faith in Jesus and God’s sovereignty. And back, I think it was 2000, Dr. Opson, he had a recording with Dr. Richard Swenson, and it was God’s sovereignty recording. Probably one of my all-time favorite airings of Dr. Dobson. And I have it on CD and I still listen to it once or twice a year. And just no matter what, just put your hope and trust and faith in Jesus. And that was just such an encouraging message that just carried on. And we were going through surgeries with both the girls. And I remember in the waiting room and I just had a piece and I uh you know what god has everything under control here and then you’re thinking as well like oh my goodness how are we gonna afford this and looking back it’s just this is not out of god’s hands and in just relying on him just for every day and what you’re going through is such a blessing and it just takes a really weight of stress off And just putting your trust in Jesus is comforting for us.
SPEAKER 02 :
I think another thing that really keeps us grounded is gratitude. We daily go through things that we’re just grateful for. And at the top of that list are our twins. Well, maybe the second. I think our top is salvation in Christ.
SPEAKER 01 :
Gratitude. Very, very underrated trait these days. I saw a poll recently that 40% of young American women between the ages of 18 and 25 wanted to leave the country because it was such a terrible place. And I thought, what in the world? What a rude awakening any of them that actually leave will have when they find out how so many people around the world live and what they deal with. We’re like fish in water. We are completely unaware of the water until it’s not there. And then we realized what we had. And the fact that you would have gratitude even with these challenges. So you’re both homeschooling them still today?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, we will homeschool all the way through. And it has been so fun. I was homeschooled and my mom is a K through 12 multi-subject lifetime credential teacher. And she has really stepped up to help with their homeschooling. Some of the areas that Maybe I wasn’t, or didn’t think I was equipped for, set up a classroom for them at my parents’ house. And we are able to do all of their medical stuff in the morning. So we don’t start school until nine. We have a lot of medical protocol we need to do in the mornings and in the evenings. So we’re able to tailor the homeschooling around their medical needs. I’m not working anymore. I was in dentistry before the twins were born and thought I was going to work part-time when we had the girls, but with their medical needs, I realized that I’m the best care provider for my kids. And being with them, we decided we’re just going to budget down. We’re going to make this work because they’re our priority and raising them to love the Lord and love our country was very important to us. I would definitely say if anyone’s out there that is on the kind of fence about homeschooling, give up whatever you can. and homeschool your kids.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s been an incredible explosion of homeschooling in recent years because of COVID and other things. But of course, Dr. Dobson has always been an advocate of both Christian schools, but also homeschooling. And the argument for either of those options becomes stronger every day when you see what’s going on in the public schools, particularly I’m sorry to say, in a state like California, and you’ve got teacher unions firmly, it would be an understatement to say they’re in the hands of liberals. In fact, that wouldn’t even be accurate. I mean, the two major teacher unions are in the hands of socialists or even, I would say, Marxists. And so the hostility makes its way all the way through the curriculum, as I’m sure you both know. So the curiosity always brings this up to me. So why do you stay? There must be something there that you’re just Californians, right? And you’re hoping that someday it turns around?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, why are we still here? Well, when the Lord opens something up, we’ll probably exit just like thousands of conservative Christians have in the last number of years.
SPEAKER 04 :
So until the door opens, Gary there will enjoy the 300 days of nice, sunny, beautiful weather and beautiful views.
SPEAKER 01 :
What a time we live in, you know, that I saw an article the other day where somebody said, Down syndrome has almost been eliminated in America because of medical advances. No, it hasn’t. It’s because we’re killing those babies in the womb and calling that medical progress.
SPEAKER 02 :
When we were diagnosed with the twin cystic fibrosis, we had to meet with a geneticist. And one of the geneticists said, oh, it’s really too bad this wasn’t diagnosed in utero so you would have had better options. Mm-hmm. I’ve always been pro-life, but I had never been face-to-face with being assertive and standing up for life. So that was definitely an eye-opener going to the front line with that. Recently, we’ve actually even had family members say that they would abort a baby like ours. That was also a challenge to deal with hearing that. We’ve had people say, A diagnosis like this is, you know, God’s punishment. We’ve also had even Christians say, oh, if you just had enough faith, a little more faith, they’d be healed. So we’ve definitely dealt with the challenges that surround the pro-life versus pro-choice. And it’s taught us to stand up for our values and be more assertive. We’re going to fight for life. And there’s so many other options that aren’t amplified enough. I’m adopted. My younger brother was adopted, and I love, love the adoption process. I think that’s one of the main reasons that led me to the Lord is that my parents were a reflection of Christ’s love in how he adopts us into his family. And being adopted just made perfect sense in how to give your life to the Lord and his family. So fighting for life is crucial. In our country.
SPEAKER 01 :
And, you know, you’ve already referenced this, but you’re raising two warriors. So who knows how God will use them in the years ahead? You know, for people out there that are listeners, obviously are overwhelmingly Christian. Of course, prayer can lead to miraculous healings. And we should pray at a time of illness and struggle and so forth. But my goodness, we need to we need to pray that God would direct our words, because when we suggest, you know, that if only you had been more faithful, your children would have been physically perfect without ailment. That is so counter to the experience of life. It’s a fallen world, you know, so we’re distorted with illness and disease. We won’t be all made whole until the kingdom is set up and we’re with the Lord. So even fellow believers that are trying to help can sometimes say things that are like a knife in the heart.
SPEAKER 02 :
Mm-hmm. We appreciate so much the positive influence, like Dr. Dobson, speaking life and speaking hope. And that’s what we want to be to others is speak life into somebody’s situation and hope, especially in the Lord. We need to continue to remind each other of that. I love Romans. We need to get the gospel out. But boy, do I love Revelation and the hope we have in Christ. And I want people to not feel sorry for us, not feel sorry for the twins, but to see Christ reflected. And if it took an illness to amplify that, it’s worth it. And it’s a blessing.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I wish everybody could see you like I’ve been seeing you because I’ve never seen two people smile as much as you have over the last couple of days of this conversation. So the gospel is more than just some words on a piece of paper. You’ve made it the lodestone, the North Star of your lives. You’ve been blessed by these two little girls, even with the problems and the challenges that They have obviously blessed you and strengthened your faith, and you’re raising them in a way that blesses them and will allow God to use them in many ways that I think are almost unimaginable. It’s been a pleasure to have this time with you both. You clearly are everyday heroes. I know our audience has enjoyed every moment of listening to you share your heart. So Carson and Tori, thank you for being with us on Dr. James Dobson’s family talk. And I look forward to the next time when we’re together personally.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you, Gary.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Gary. It’s been our pleasure.
SPEAKER 03 :
Carson and Tori Beach’s journey shows us that even in the midst of life’s greatest challenges, God remains faithful and he can use our struggles to draw us closer to him and to each other. You’re listening to Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk and the conclusion of Gary Bauer’s conversation with Carson and Tori Beach. If you missed part one or if you’d like to share this program with a friend, go to jdfi.net. You know, Carson and Tori mentioned something during our conversation that really stuck with me. They said that they don’t want sympathy. What they really are hoping for is that people will see Christ reflected through their family’s journey. And isn’t that just the heart of the gospel? Taking our struggles and letting God use them to point others to him. If you’re raising a child with different needs or you’re walking through a difficult season, I hope today’s program has been an encouragement to you. And you’ll find more for you and your family when you go to jdfi.net. Programs like the one you heard today are made possible because of friends like you who share your heart for families, and you share our heart for families too. Your gift to the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute helps us continue broadcasting biblical truth to listeners who are searching for hope and encouragement. Whether you are able to donate a little or a lot, every contribution allows us to reach more families with the message that God is with them, no matter what they’re going through. We invite you to partner with us today. And when you make the call to a member of our constituent care team, that number is 877-732-6825. That’s 877-732-6825. You can also give a gift online. Make a secure donation when you visit jdfi.net. Or if you’d like to send your contribution through the mail, our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Once again, that’s Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, or just use those initials, JDFI for short. P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80949. I’m Roger Marsh. Thank you so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
