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US Nurse Adopts Teen Mom, Her Triplets After No One Shows Up For Them

Katrina Mullen, a NICU nurse from Indiana state, USA, adopted a 14-year-old girl and her triplets after the teen had to deliver the babies alone.

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Tanya Savkoor
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Image: TODAY.com

When 14-year-old Shariya Small was at an Indiana hospital for the birth of her triplets, she had no caretaker or assistance. She was all alone during the delivery and when her babies were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She later revealed to the nurse there, Katrina Mullen, that she had no family or friends to support her. The teenager's sombre story moved Mullen, who then decided to adopt her and the twins, turning a new chapter in their lives.

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Building Trust And Bond

Katrina Mullen, 45, is a NICU nurse at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, where triplets Serenitee, Samari and Sarayah were admitted for five months in 2020. When she noticed the mother all by herself at the centre, she wanted to do something to support the family of four. “I knew if I gave her time, she’d likely open up to me,” Mullen told TODAY.com.

Mullen revealed to Shariya Small that she was also a teen mom who gave her son up for adoption when she was 16 years old. This struck a chord with the teenager, who then started sharing about her personal life. "Something shifted after I told her that I was a teen mom,” Mullen told the outlet. “That’s when we really developed trust.”

Small felt comfortable around Mullen, who never intentionally judged her. After the babies were discharged from the NICU, they exchanged numbers and stayed in touch. Mullen said, “I said, ‘If you need anything, you just call me. If you need to talk, or you have a question, I’m here.'" Small knew she had found someone who truly understood her.

Mullen taught her all about taking care of the infants, while Small showed her how to use Snapchat. "I’d help her when she was crying and overwhelmed. I couldn’t fix it, but I would listen and support her and be like, ‘You can do this,’ But I was becoming increasingly concerned about her support system," Mullen recalled. 

Adoption

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One day, when Mullen drove to Kokomo, Indiana, to visit Small, she was devastated by her poor living conditions. Small's son, Samari, was also diagnosed with failure to thrive, which is when a child's weight measurements fall below the third or fifth percentile due to inadequate nutrition, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) was notified of Samari's diagnosis. Soon, Mullen received a call from DSS, who said that Shariya and her babies were being removed from their home. The caseworker told the nurse that Shariya wished to live with her instead of a foster home. Mullen, who already had three children, did not hesitate. 

 Mullen recounted, “I just kept thinking, ‘I have to do this.' I knew Shariya was intelligent and resilient and she just needed a safe place to put her roots. I knew it would be hard, but we'd figure it out." She took classes to get certified as a foster parent and borrowed cribs, strollers, clothes and bouncy chairs, from friends and relatives.

Mullen fostered Small and the triplets for about one and a half years, during which Small graduated from an alternative high school with an A- average. On February 6, 2024, Mullen officially adopted Small, becoming a large family of nine. The teen mom,  now 17, is now touring nearby colleges and plans to pursue a career in social work.

Mullen expressed “I’m so proud to be Shariya’s mom. She just amazes me every day. When she’s frustrated with the babies, she never raises her voice. She’s just blossoming into this incredible woman.” The nurse and mom of seven have established a crowdfunding page to help "build a financial cushion" for Small and her babies.

adoption teen pregnancy adoption of the girl child
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