NICU Nurse Adopts 14-Year-Old Patient After She Gives Birth to Triplets Alone

Hospital workers see families during their most difficult moments. Usually, the boundary between professional duty and personal life remains very clear. But sometimes, a situation is so heartbreaking that stepping across that line is the only right thing to do. When a veteran neonatal nurse noticed a quiet, isolated teenager facing a massive medical challenge all by herself, providing standard hospital care was simply not enough. What began as a highly stressful hospital stay quietly blossomed into a life-altering bond, proving that family can grow in the most unexpected places.

Finding Family in the NICU

The neonatal intensive care unit can be a scary place for any new parent. The constant beeping of monitors and the sight of tiny babies make it a stressful environment. For 14-year-old Shariya Small, this was even harder. She gave birth to triplets at just 26 weeks pregnant in 2020. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine notes that triplets usually arrive around 33 weeks. Because they came so early, Small’s babies, Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah, needed critical medical care.

At Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, neonatal nurse Katrina Mullen noticed the young mother was going through this completely alone. Mullen, who has been a nurse for over 20 years, watched Small spend hours sitting quietly by the incubators holding her newborns.

“She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Mullen recalled to Today.

The nurse’s heart ached for the young girl. Small was recovering from childbirth at an early age while also worrying about three sick, premature infants.

“I couldn’t imagine being 14 years old and being not only pregnant, but having three preemies who are all very sick and hooked up to monitors,” Mullen shared.

Seeing that the teenager had no one to lean on, Mullen decided to reach out. She wanted to do more than just check medical charts. That simple choice to offer a friendly word started a connection that would eventually change both of their families forever.

Two Teen Moms, Two Different Decades

At first, Small was quiet and kept to herself. Trusting hospital staff was not easy. Mullen realized that simply offering medical care was not enough to help. To break through the walls the teenager had built, the nurse decided to open up about her own past.

Mullen revealed a deeply personal detail: she had also been a teenage mother. At age 16, Mullen gave birth and made the difficult choice to place her baby for adoption. She shared this vulnerable part of her life to show Small that she understood the fear and judgment that often come with teen pregnancy.

“I told her that I was a teen mom, and that I had placed my son for adoption,” Mullen told TODAY. “I think that helped her realize I wasn’t judging her.”

This shared history changed everything. Small began to talk more freely with Mullen. They started chatting about the everyday challenges of motherhood and the scary reality of caring for tiny, fragile babies. The nurse became a safe space for the young girl to express her feelings without fear of criticism.

Mental health professionals agree that mentorship from someone with similar lived experiences can greatly improve outcomes for young parents. By sharing her truth, Mullen offered much more than just professional sympathy. She provided a genuine connection based on true understanding.

Refusing to Let the System Tear Them Apart

After several months of specialized care, the triplets grew strong enough to leave the hospital. Before they were discharged, Mullen gave Small her personal phone number. They stayed in touch through video calls, but the nurse soon noticed that the young mother was struggling. Small and her babies were living with a relative, and the environment was not safe or suitable for raising three fragile infants.

The Department of Child Services eventually had to intervene. Finding a foster home for a teenager is already a challenge. Finding a single placement willing to accept a teen mother along with three infant babies is nearly impossible. Because of this, the state planned to separate Small from her children.

During this terrifying time, a caseworker contacted Mullen. Small had listed the trusted nurse as a personal contact. When the social worker explained that the family was going to be split apart in the foster care system, Mullen made a life-altering decision.

“I said, ‘I’ll take them,’” Mullen told TODAY.

Mullen already had five children of her own, with three teenagers still living at home. However, she knew exactly what was at stake. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, keeping young mothers and their children together within the foster system significantly improves long-term emotional outcomes and healthy childhood development. By stepping up to foster the young family, Mullen prevented a traumatic separation and provided the safe haven they desperately needed.

A Temporary Haven Becomes a Forever Home

Moving into the Mullen household was a massive adjustment. Katrina Mullen already had three teenagers living at home, and bringing in a 14-year-old mother with three infants turned her house into a bustling, noisy environment. However, this busy home provided the exact stability Shariya Small needed. For the first time, she had a reliable support system. This allowed her to focus on finishing high school while learning how to care for her babies.

The family lived under a foster care arrangement for over a year. During this time, the bond between Mullen and Small deepened from nurse and patient to mother and daughter. Mullen recognized that foster care could still leave the young family vulnerable to future separation. To ensure they would always remain together, she decided to make things official. On February 6, 2023, Mullen officially adopted Small.

This outcome is quite rare in the child welfare system. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, older adolescents in foster care are significantly less likely to be adopted compared to younger children. Many teenagers eventually age out of the system without finding a permanent family. By finalizing the adoption, Mullen did not just provide a temporary rescue. She gave a vulnerable teenager the lifelong security of a loving family.

A Beautiful Life, Built Together

Today, Shariya Small has built a beautiful life. She graduated from high school and is visiting colleges, hoping to become a social worker. Her triplets are now healthy, active toddlers. This positive outcome happened because Katrina Mullen offered a steady, safe home.

“I am so proud to be Shariya’s mom,” Mullen told Today. “She just amazes me every day.”

The Annie E. Casey Foundation notes that young parents in foster care face high risks of poverty and homelessness. However, having just one caring, supportive adult can change everything. Small’s journey proves exactly how true that statistic is. With a safe place to land and a mother who believed in her, she secured a strong future for her kids.

Mullen’s choice to take them in shows how much compassion matters. Not everyone can adopt a family of four, but anyone can help. Mentoring at-risk youth, donating to local foster groups, or just being kind to a struggling young parent are great ways to start. When people support vulnerable families in their communities, they make sure no young parent has to figure it out all alone.