In Indiana, a nurse adopted a 14-year-old girl who gave birth to triplets - ForumDaily
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Indiana nurse adopts 14-year-old girl who gave birth to triplets

Newborn nurse Katrina Mullen noticed that the 14-year-old mother, who gave birth to triplets at her hospital in Indiana, is always alone. A touching and unusual story of a new family was told by the publication Today.

Photo: IStock

“She spent days sitting alone at the bedside of her kids,” 45-year-old Katrina Mullen began her story.

She wondered why Sharia Small never showed up with a packed lunch or snacks. Has anyone looked after her at home? Did she have support?

But Mullen was in no hurry. Sharia, then in the 8th grade, made it clear that she did not want to share the details of her personal life.

“I knew that if I gave her time, she would most likely open up to me,” she explained.

The triplets Serenity, Samari and Saraya, who were born at 26 weeks pregnant in 2020, spent more than five months in the neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in Indianapolis.

Katherine spoke to Small about caring for newborns, while Small spoke to Mullen about TikTok. But the walls didn't start to come down until the nurse confessed to Small that at 16, she gave up the baby for adoption.

“Something changed after I told her that I, too, became a teenage mom at one time,” Katrina noted. “That’s when we really developed trust.”

Small felt like people were judging her.

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“I never judged her,” Mullen explained.

Before leaving, she gave Small her cell phone number. At that time, the newly minted mother had not yet shared information about her family.

“If you need anything, just call me. If you need to talk or you have a question, I'm here, ”Mullen said at parting.

And Small began texting her regularly.

“I helped her when she was crying and depressed. “I couldn’t fix it, but I listened and encouraged her: You can do this,” Mullen said. “But I was increasingly worried that there was no one to support her.” I didn’t immediately understand why she called me so often.”

On her day off, Katrina Mullen went to Kokomo, Indiana, where Small lived with a relative. The nurse was dismayed by what she saw: the triplets were sleeping together in the playpen, and Small was lying on the couch.

“This was not a place to raise children,” Mullen said.

She was especially concerned about the son of a young mother - Samari had digestive problems since birth. She said he looked "extremely thin" and was covered in eczema.

Sharia explained that the doctor had put the baby on a special diet, but he was still sick and was losing weight.

According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Samary was admitted to a nearby hospital where he was diagnosed with developmental delay, when a child's weight falls below the third or fifth percentile due to inadequate nutrition. The Department of Human Services (DSS) was notified of Samary's diagnosis.

Shortly thereafter, Mullen received a call from DSS.

“The social worker reported that Sharia and her children were being removed from their home,” Mullen recalled. “And then he said that Sharia would like to live with me and asked if I would mind.”

Mullen already had three children at home: Sequavillon (age 16), Shakovon (age 14) and JJ (age 7). She is also the mother of 23-year-old Sevonte and 22-year-old Shai. But she didn't hesitate.

“I knew it would be impossible to find a foster family that would take all four of us. No one was going to take a teenage mom and her triplets,” Mullen said. “I just knew I had to do it.” She knew that Sharia was smart and resilient and just needed a safe place. I knew it would be difficult, but we’ll figure it out.”

Katrina, who has not yet been a foster parent, completed all the courses to become certified. Friends and relatives donated cribs, strollers, clothes and inflatable chairs.

“Like a baby bomb went off in my living room!” Mullen said with a laugh.

She raised Sharia and her babies for 668 days. During this time, the girl graduated from an alternative high school with an A grade and now attends a nearby college. She plans to pursue a career in the social field.

Mullen admires how far Small, who recently turned 17, has come. Mullen says she has learned to deal with difficult emotions, works on her communication skills during therapy, and always puts her children's needs first.

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“In the beginning, I did almost everything for the children myself, and she only observed and participated when she felt confident. And now she’s in charge,” Mullen says. “I keep an eye on them if she wants to go hang out with her friends and stuff that teenagers do.”

Mullen, among other things, officially became the mother of Small on February 6. After she shared a photo of her adoption on her foster parents' Facebook page, the story went viral and was first reported by the Indianapolis Star.

"I'm so proud to be Sharia's mom," Mullen said. She amazes me every day. The girl just blossoms and turns into an incredible woman.”

Katrina created page on GoFundMeto "form a financial cushion" for Small and her children.

Serenite, Samari and Saraya, now 2, can count to 20 and “learn new words” every day in English and Spanish. They name Mullen, who is officially their grandmother, LaLa.

“Was it easy? No! She pushes the boundaries, like any other teenager, Katrina summed up. “But I love her. I am her mother and I will never go anywhere.”

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