Katrina Mullen, a NICU nurse, became a beacon of hope for Shariya Small when she gave birth to premature triplets at just 14 years old. Small faced an overwhelming challenge taking care of three babies who were born at 26 weeks and needed to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for four months.

But Mullen didn't just care for the babies, she also supported Small through the difficult journey of motherhood. Realizing that Small and her babies might be separated if they were put up for adoption, Mullen made the decision to adopt all four of them and keep them together as a family.

It's an inspiring story of selflessness and love, reminding us of the incredible impact that kindness and compassion can have on someone's life.

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Mullen talked to Small a lot and gave her advice on motherhood and childcare. “I would go sit in the office with her and talk about basically anything,” Small shared.

“I would tell her some of my secrets and she talked to me about her experiences with being a teen mom. That’s one of the things we clicked on while I was in the hospital.”

Before they were discharged, Small exchanged numbers with Mullen and they continued their blossoming friendship outside the hospital.

Mullen kept her promise to Small and answered all her phone calls and text messages. They would also video call each other on FaceTime whenever Small needed help handling her son’s feeding tube.

Mullen, the NICU nurse, expressed her generosity by sending them gifts and packages. Eventually, she started visiting Small and her children despite the two-hour round-trip drive.

“She would drive from Brownsburg to Kokomo just to see me and the babies for like an hour,” Small said.

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Mullen’s co-workers noticed how close she was with Small and the triplets, which initiated a running joke in the hospital.

They would ask Mullen if she had brought the babies home with her yet and how her “adopted” daughter was doing.

Small and Mullen’s relationship got even better until one day, Small brought back her son to the hospital. She needed someone to look after him and Mullen offered her help wholeheartedly.

However, this incident made the Indiana Department of Child Services examine the living situation of Small and her children.

The case officer concluded that the three children needed to be in foster care, which scared both Small and Mullen.

“Just from being a nurse, I knew there would not be many foster homes that would take a teen mother with three kids,” said Mullen.

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Mullen agreed to adopt not only Small but also her three children so they could all live together. Though she is a single mother and has five other children, Mullen was determined to help her newly-adopted kids.

After signing the paperwork, she eagerly sent Small a text message that melted her daughter’s heart, “I can’t wait for you to come home!”

Mullen made room for Small and her kids and made some adjustments at work so she could help her with the triplets. Now 15 years old, Small went back to school to finish her education.

“Everybody told me that I wouldn’t finish school, that I wouldn’t achieve my goals, but now I’m graduating as a junior and was accepted into two colleges with academic scholarships,” Small said. 

When Small finishes high school, she plans to go to college and become a nurse, just like her mother.

Mullen, on the one hand, couldn’t be happier and prouder. “It’s been great,” she said. “Stressful? Yes. Sleepless nights? Yes. But worth it? Absolutely.”

Mullen set up a fundraiser for the future of Small and her triplets through GoFundMe. She hopes to use the proceeds for their education, housing costs, and a car for Small and the babies.