There are some individuals you come across in life who basically change everything for the better, and we simply cannot imagine getting through life’s hardest moments without them by our side.
This story posted by Today shares how a NICU nurse, who gave birth as a teenager herself, opened up her home to a teen patient who had recently given birth to triplets.
It all started when NICU nurse Katrina Mullen met 14-year-old Shariya Small, who arrived at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis in August 2020. Katrina was immediately drawn to the teen, as she thought back to her years as a teen mother and just how difficult it would be if you were essentially on your own and giving birth to triplets.
After Shariya gave birth to Sarayah, Serenitee, and Samari, who were born prematurely at 26 weeks and weighed less than 2 pounds each, Katrina made it her mission to make herself available to the overwhelmed new mom.
She even gave Shariya her phone number when the new mom left the hospital and told her to call if she ever found herself in need of some help.
In April 2021, Shariya had to bring baby Samari back to the hospital due to some health issues, which then triggered a call to child services. It was decided that the teenaged Shariya and her triplets needed foster care and would likely be split up unless someone could take the family of four in.
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Shariya immediately thought of her loving friend, Katrina, and gave the social worker her phone number.
“Without a moment’s hesitation, I said yes because I didn’t want her, after everything she’d already been through, to have to be separated from them,” Katrina explains.
To learn more about their unique family dynamic and how Shariya hopes to pay it forward one day, watch the full video shared by Today.