"She'd be there alone for days at a time, sitting at her babies' bedside," said the nurse recalling her first meeting with the teen mom.
Neonatal nurses play a crucial role in supporting adolescent mothers who may be facing challenges such as social isolation, lack of support, and financial difficulties. By providing compassionate and non-judgmental care, neonatal nurses help young mothers feel empowered and capable of caring for their newborns in a case similar to Shariya Small. Katrina Mullen, a neonatal nurse, took notice of this young mother's situation and expressed concern for her well-being, per TODAY.
Mullen observed that 14-year-old Shariya who gave birth to triplets in an Indiana hospital always appeared to be alone. Eventually, the relationship became so strong that the nurse ended up adopting the young mum. Initially, she questioned why Small never showed up with a lunch prepared or some snacks to munch on like the other patients, Mullen didn't press through. Small, who was in the eighth grade at the time, made it apparent that she didn't want to discuss personal matters. "She'd be there alone for days at a time, sitting at her babies' bedside. I knew if I gave her time, she'd likely open up to me," said the nurse recalling her first encounter.
"Something shifted after I told her that I was a teen mom. That's when we really developed trust," shared Mullen revealing how the girl started confiding in her. "I never judged her. I said, 'If you need anything, you just call me. If you need to talk, or you have a question, I'm here'," the nurse told the outlet. Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah, her triplets born in 2020 at 26 weeks gestation, stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis for more than five months.
Small taught Mullen about TikTok, and Mullen taught Small about caring for newborns. During a visit to Kokomo, Indiana, where Small was staying with a relative, on her day off Mullen was startled to see that she had been consigned to a couch while the triplets were asleep in an infant playpen altogether. That's when she got to know that the young mother had no place to live in the Department of Social Service (DSS).
Mullen already had three kids at home, SeQuayvion, 16, ShaKovon, 14, and JJ, 7, and she is also a mom of Sevonté, 23, and Shai, 22. But she didn't hesitate to ask the teen mum if she would like to stay at her place. Small and the children spent 668 days in Mullen's care. Later, Small obtained an A-grade at an alternative high school, all thanks to Mullen who adopted her as her daughter and embraced her triplets. After adopting Small on February 6, Mullen is now legally Small's mother. “I’m so proud to be Shariya’s mom," Mullen said, adding, “She just amazes me every day."
The story went viral and was originally covered by the Indianapolis Star after Mullen posted an image from adoption day on a Facebook community for foster parents.
Reference:
https://www.today.com/parents/moms/nicu-nurse-indiana-adopts-teen-mom-triplets-rcna75047
Cover Image Source: Facebook | Katrina Mullen
