Committed to Studies and Parenting

Mary Stone, 23, is a nursing student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She enjoys dancing, exercising, skim-boarding and singing when people aren't listening.

Her boyfriend, Mark Thornton, 22, is majoring in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies. He enjoys running, swimming and the outdoors.

They seem like your typical college couple - they go to VCU basketball games, focus on academics and spend quality time with their friends. Though they are very much like the average college student, they are different as well. They do not hide things from people yet they keep to themselves. Classmates and fresh faces on campus were stunned to find that Stone and Thornton are raising a baby boy, Cory.

And not just any child. Cory was born seven months ago with hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain." It's a congenital defect that can cause convulsions and mental disabilities; doctors have placed a shunt in Cory's brain to relieve the pressure. Stone and Thornton must keep a constant eye on their son.

That challenge has helped them discover the meaning of love - and the meaning of family. As Virginians gather for Thanksgiving, Stone and Thornton say they're thankful first and for most each other and Cory. They say they are also thankful their parents, for having the willingness and means to make sacrifices for them which they plan on carrying on into their family.

"Love is a four-letter word spelled G-I-V-E," Thornton said.

Added Stone: "God loves me more than I could ever understand and that inspires me to love back."

After Stone got pregnant, Thornton went to the Middle East to study Arabic. He was gone for nearly all of her pregnancy - but they talked via Skype.

"I was lonely and emotional, which made me more lonely. I wanted him to enjoy my pregnancy and feel the baby kick," Stone said.

She said she spent her pregnancy nauseous, nervous and concerned with keeping the baby as healthy as she could.

Thornton returned from the Middle East just two days before Stone gave birth. "He'll say I was only pregnant for two days," Stone quipped

After doctors diagnosed Cory with hydrocephalus, they inserted a shunt to drain spinal fluid from his brain to his belly. He will need future surgeries to replace the device.

Stone and Thornton must keep a constant eye on Cory for signs that his shunt has malfunctioned and to make sure that he does not bump his head.

Cory is also cross-eyed. He wears patches to strengthen his eyes and treat the condition at an early age.

"He hates it though," Stone said. "He'll literally start laughing and kicking as soon as I take the patch off."

Growing up Thornton remembers spending time with his father, traveling, surfing and being supported by parents. With Cory constantly on his mind, he wishes these same things for his own son.

"I hope Cory gets a lot of the same things I had, not just with good family time and quality time but getting to travel a lot too," Thornton said "My life is my family, and I really like that."

He and Stone have learned to balance their life and schoolwork. When one of them is in class the other is with Cory.

"We're both ready to serve each other if the other needs it. We change diapers, feed and play with him," Stone said.

Friends give praise to the couple's commitments.

"It's a really tough situation and they have managed wonderfully, I don't think anyone could have done a better job," said VCU student Anna Karomazova, a high school friend of Thornton.

VCU student Ryan Baker, a friend of Stone and Thornton, praises them for remaining in school despite the stress of being parents and students. He recalls seeing Stone fighting off exhaustion.

"I have seen her fall asleep at 9 p.m. sitting up," Baker said.

Baker and Karomazova say Stone and Thornton have embraced the responsibility of parenting. They have stood by each other's side and have stayed in school when others might have walked away.

"In a relationship, I'm trying [to be] myself, be around, make sure Mary feels beautiful and loved," Thornton said.Having a child and starting a family "will change your life around," Stone said. "But be positive about it and embrace your new life and your new family!"