FATHER ’ S DAY
Twenty-plus years later : John Douglass enjoying unexpected new addition to family
Story by Ida Brown , MH & S editor Photos by Terrell Clark
In 2021 , John and Angie Douglass were starting to envision their lives as empty nesters . However , in mid-summer they learned their empty nest would be filled once again . Not by their son Walker , 27 , a football coach at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville . Nor their daughter Reagan , 21 , a junior at Mississippi State University in Starkville . This unexpected nester would be their son Jake . But the couple only had two children . Who was Jake ? And why was he moving in with them ? Little did they know , but John and Angie ( who , at the time , were ages 52 and 44 ) were about to become parents — again .
“ We thought that part of our life ( raising children ) was over and we were going to be empty nesters pretty soon ,” said John , who is head football coach at Meridian High School .
Not a chance
In 2020 , Angie experienced health problems which required her to discontinue using birth control . A year later , while undergoing tests for a follow-up procedure , Angie was informed her blood work showed she was pregnant .
“ Angie told the nurse , ‘ No , I don ’ t think there is a chance ,’” John said , adding they wondered if a hormonal imbalance prompted the positive pregnancy test .
The follow-up procedure could not be performed until Angie was cleared as not pregnant . An appointment was made with an OBGYN and three weeks later , it was confirmed that Angie was indeed pregnant .
“ They did an ultrasound and as soon they put the device on her stomach , you could see him ( the baby ),” John said .
At that point , Angie was 12 weeks pregnant . Ironically , John was scheduled to undergo a medical procedure three days after the
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