After observing the 14-year-old mother of triplets visit her babies in the hospital ALONE every day and learning she had no support or family, a kind NICU nurse decides to adopt the young woman

A kind nurse at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis’ neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) adopted a 14-year-old mother of preterm triplets after seeing how she struggled alone with no family or friends nearby. When Shariya Small gave birth to Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah at barely 26 weeks, the nurse, Katrina Mullen, first encountered Shariya Small, who was in the eighth grade. The triplets were hospitalized for over five months despite weighing less than two pounds each. While sitting by her babies’ beds, Katrina, 45, discovered that Shariya would often be left alone for days. This moved Katrina to intervene and provide support.

Shariya initially resisted, but Katrina, who had also given her son up for adoption as a teen, could go beyond her and forge a relationship. She and Shariya spoke frequently on the phone and continued to help the young mother as she struggled with raising premature triplets. When Katrina visited Shariya’s relative’s house in Kokomo, Indiana, where she was residing, and discovered the surroundings unfit for having children, she grew frightened. Samari, a newborn with dermatitis and intestinal issues, was taken to the hospital and eventually identified as having a “failure to thrive.”

When the Department of Social Services caseworker called to say that Shariya and her children were being taken from their home, Katrina did not think twice about inviting the young mother into her house. Sevonté (23) and Shai (22), as well as having three other children of her own, SeQuayvion (16), ShaKovon (14), and JJ (7), Katrina fostered Shariya and the infants, for 668 days before formally adopting the teens in February.

Shariya, who hopes to become a social worker, and her now two-year-old children needed a financial safety net, so Katrina created a GoFundMe campaign to raise $20,000. To assist Shariya’s future college experience and travels as she develops into a strong lady and mother, the campaign has raised more than its $57,000 goal.