‘Monkeys Live in the Zoo'
Triplets Give Hope for Future, But Won’t
Replace Kyle, Emma & Katie, Say Cobles
by Jim Schmitt, Editor and Publisher
Chris and Lori Coble, of Ladera Ranch, were the subject of international news coverage last May when their three children — Kyle, 5, Emma, 4, and Katie, 2, — lost their lives in a horrific car accident on the southbound I-5 near the Oso Parkway exit.
Now the Coble’s are back in the international media with the announcement of the pending birth of triplets and their support for a campaign to improve truck safety.
This latest phase in the ongoing Coble story began to unfold when the Ladera Times got a call from a reader who wanted to know if there was any truth to the rumor that Chris and Lori were going to have triplets. An exchange of emails with the Cobles confirmed the fact and the story broke on the LaderaTimes.com website.
"Yes, it is true. I am six weeks along and they expect me to deliver in early to mid-May," Lori told the Ladera Times. "We had to do it by in vitro fertilization and it worked the first month.
"They extracted 14 eggs from me and out of all of those after all sorts of genetics testing, three eggs were good, two girls and one boy. We took that as a sign and we put all three in."
The odds of all three eggs attaching were only 10 percent, according to Lori who added, "It turned out, we are one of the lucky 10 percent."
Although the Coble family is very excited about the pending birth, Lori said it is a bittersweet blessing. "These children will never take the place of Kyle, Emma and Katie, but it does give us some hope for happier times in the future."
Once the story broke, the Cobles became the focus of news organizations all over the world, including a live interview on "The Today Show" via satellite feed from their home here in Ladera Ranch.
Following the rush of media attention, Chris and Lori were kind enough to invite the Ladera Times into their home for an in depth interview.
Q. We’ll get to the triplets in a moment but, first, how are you two holding up?
Chris: Every day is a struggle just to get through it. It’s very difficult. But at least with the triplets we have some hope for the future.
Q. Tell us about the pregnancy. How are you doing?
Lori: Overall I’m feeling good, but I’m tired and hungry all the time.
Q. I understand the doctor wants you to gain a lot of weight.
Lori: Yes, he’d like me to gain 50 to 70 pounds during the pregnancy.
Q. Your doctor also wants you to rest a lot. What are the chances you’ll be on bed rest?
Lori: The doctor wants me to avoid any activities that could cause pre-term labor, like lifting and exercising. I rest a lot during the day and there’s a possibility I may be put on bed rest at 22 weeks to be extra cautious. But the doctor says there’s a 90 percent chance all three embryos will make it to the important 32-week stage.
Q. What made you decide to have children so quickly after the tragedy?
Chris: Of course, this is a bittersweet development for us, but we always wanted to have children and, right now, we’re parents without children.
Q. I’ve heard that you plan to do something special with the triplet’s names.
Lori: Yes, we plan to give the triplets the same middle names of their siblings.
Q. Turning back to the tragedy of last May, what did you think when you saw the pink and blue ribbons on all the trees throughout Ladera Ranch?
Lori: I don’t have a memory of the ribbons when I first came home from the hospital because I was still in a daze, but I remember how sad it was to watch them come down at the end of the month. The neighbors kept them up here for a long time and they still decorate the memorial bench.
Chris: I have a very vivid memory of the first time I saw the ribbons because the gesture made me cry.
Q. Why did you come to the candlelight ceremony in the Town Green the day after you were discharged from the hospital?
Lori: Being among so many people who cared helped us heal.
Q. Where did you get the strength to make that public appearance?
Lori: We wanted to attend but we didn’t know if we had the strength. We actually drove around the park several times before we could muster up the strength to get out of the car.
Q. What one thing provided you with the most strength in the aftermath of the accident?
Chris: We had each other to prop one another up. And we had the support of so many family members and friends, and the overwhelming community support to help us get through that period.
Q. I know you come from a religious background, so did you ever question your faith?
Chris: No. We found it hard to believe that it was part of some grand plan. We just accepted it as an accident and God stepped in afterward. Now our children are with God.
Q. Reverend Roger Rustad, Chaplain at Mission Hospital, seemed to be at your side throughout all of this. What role did he play?
Lori: His help and guidance was huge. He did everything we did not know how to do, including make all the funeral arrangements.
Chris: He mobilized an incredible amount of resources to help us thorough this ordeal.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourselves. How old are you and where were you raised?
Lori: I’m 30 and I was raised in Torrance, CA.
Chris: I’m 36 and I was raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, PA.
Q. Where did you go to school and what did you study?
Chris: I went to Millersville University in Pennsylvania and majored in computer science with a minor in business management.
Lori: I studied to be a dental assistant at Moorpark College here in California.
Q. How did the two of you meet?
Lori: A cousin of mine who was dating a friend of Chris’ introduced the two of us.
Q. What do you do professionally?
Chris: I’m a software engineer at Wonderware in Foothill Ranch. It’s a great company and they have been very understanding and supportive throughout all of this.
Lori: I worked as a dental assistant until Kyle was born at which time I fulfilled my chosen destiny of being a full-time mother.
Q. How did you come to live in Ladera Ranch?
Chris: We lived in Thousand Oaks, San Jose, Moorpark, and Santa Clarita before settling in Ladera Ranch.
Lori: All of my family lives in South Orange County and we liked the family atmosphere in Ladera Ranch and enjoyed seeing the children playing in the parks, so we moved here.
Q. What do you want to say to the people of Ladera Ranch?
Lori: You’re amazing, loving people.
Chris: Ladera Ranch is a wonderful community and we would never want to leave it.
Q. Would you care to share your thoughts on the memorial bench the community erected on your cul-de-sac in memory of Kyle, Emma and Katie (see photos above)?
Chris: It gives us great comfort. It’s someplace we can go and reflect on the kids, and it will be nice when the triplets are old enough to see their brother and sisters. Also, as you can see, the neighbors still keep it decorated in memory of the children.
Q. How do you want people to react to you as you go about the community?
Lori: Some people don’t say anything and others come up and express their condolences. We actually like people to talk to us about Kyle, Emma, and Katie. We want them to always be remembered.
Q. One more question, where did the term "Crazy Monkeys" come from?
Lori (laughing): I’m not sure how we started talking about monkeys but it crept up in our regular conversations with the kids. Then one day, Kyle said, "You’re so smart, Mom, but you don’t know everything. You don’t know that monkeys live at the zoo." Another time, when I asked the kids what they wanted for breakfast, Emma said, "I want a monkey," and from there on out they became known as our "Crazy Monkeys."
(Editor's Note: For more information on this compelling story, click on "Coble News Diary." To comment on this or other news items, click on "Feedback.")