Taylor Deras and Drew Deras believe their story was handcrafted uniquely by God, and 31-year-old Taylor is certain that "there's no other way" that their journey unraveled the way it has.
The couple, both nurses, recently finalized their adoption of their daughter, Ella, who they had both cared for while she was in the NICU. But their story dates back to 2017, when the registered nurses met while working the overnight shift in the neonatal intensive care unit at Methodist Women’s Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.
Over time, they began to form a bond during their breaks in the cafeteria and their shared love for family. It wasn't long before Taylor and Drew turned their friendship into love. The couple got married in 2020.
In May 2021, Ella, who would eventually become their daughter, was admitted into the NICU. She was a preterm, born at 23 weeks and only weighing 1 pound, 2 ounces. “She was very, very sick,” Taylor recalled, adding that Ella was intubated immediately and required multiple blood transfusions.
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Taylor formed an instant connection with the child. “There were good days, and then there were days I would leave work and get in the car with Drew and say, ‘I’m not going to see her again. She’s going to pass away tonight,’” she shared. But by summer of 2021, Ella was gaining her strength.
Taylor became worried about where the baby girl would go after being discharged from the hospital because her biological mom was no longer visiting. “She was looking for housing and bouncing around from job to job,” Taylor recalled of the mom. Taylor stepped in and made Ella a priority of hers.
“I would read to her and hold her for hours. It was so important to me that she felt loved,” she said. Drew also formed a connection with Ella. “In my downtime, I’d go and see her and feed her a bottle, and I’d talk to her a lot,” he said. With there being only two male nurses in the NICU, Drew said he wanted Ella to hear a “different kind of voice.”
In December 2021, Ella was deemed a ward of the state. That's when Taylor and Drew inquired about foster parenting. “When Ella’s biological mom heard we were interested in fostering, she said, ‘I want Ella to go to you,’” Taylor said. “She trusted us with her." In April 2022, they brought Ella home.
Upon seeing Ella's improvement while living with Taylor and Drew, her biological mom thought it best that she remain with the couple. “She looked at us and she said, ‘You guys are the best thing for her. She knows you as Mom and Dad and I can’t handle all these medical things she needs now and maybe forever,’” Taylor explained. “Then she said, ‘I’m willing to sign over my rights to you.’”
Ella's adoption was finalized in November 2023. “The courtroom was just filled with so much emotion and happiness,” Taylor recalled. “We had the same judge throughout the whole process and she watched Ella go from a sick little girl to a girl that’s walking." Ella is now 2 years old and thriving.
