Teen mom with triplets struggled to find a foster family — until a nurse's message after delivery changed her life
Pregnancy as a teenager can be a tough ride. At such times, they need even more support from family and loved ones. Shariya Small was 14 when she discovered that she was going to be a mom, per PEOPLE. It was unexpected and unplanned, and the young woman had a challenging task ahead of her. She delivered premature triplets and had no one to turn to, per CBS Evening News. At such a strenuous time, a NICU Nurse named Katrina Mullen came to her rescue. She had been involved in looking after the newborns and some time later, had the most relieving message to share with the teenage mom.
Small learned she was pregnant in 2020. “I was 14, I was like, ‘I don’t want to be a mom right now,’” she recalled. The young woman was even more baffled when she learned that she was expecting triplets. "I was speechless. I was panicking, but I had no time to panic,” she said. The babies were born prematurely at 26 weeks at Community Hospital North. She was by herself and seemed to have no source of support. To her luck, she came across Mullen, who comforted the new mom and helped her know she was not alone. The nurse, who was a teen mom herself, empathized with Small. As a single mother of 5 kids, she knew well the struggles such situations can bring.
She began to regularly visit the 14-year-old and her triplets. Even on days when she wasn’t looking after the babies, she would stop by and check on her. Small, too, began to trust the nurse and would often look to her for help. “It felt really good to finally have somebody to talk to that wasn’t on my phone,” the teenage mom said. A few months later, the mom and her triplets were out of the hospital and had to fend for themselves. She was able to stay in touch with Mullen, but most conversations were heartbreaking ones. The exhausted teen mom was struggling with the hurdles of motherhood all alone.
“I was overwhelmed. I would just call Katrina and she would talk me down and tell me what to do,” she recounted. As Mullen visited the family, she realized that Small was in dire need of help. She had no amenities or a secure home to live in and look after her babies. Sometime later, one of the triplets seemed unwell and Mullen urged the mom to get him to a doctor. The infant was diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” which prompted an investigation. A decision was taken to move the mom and the triplets to foster care, but Small had a request — to live with Mullen instead. When the nurse was asked if she could take them in, she was “dumbfounded.”
“My brain was racing. I was thinking to myself how hard it was going to be for them to find a foster home for all four of them to stay together,” she recalled. Small soon received a message from Mullen that changed her life. “I can’t wait for you to come home,” she wrote. Ever since, Mullen has been nothing short of a mom to Small. In a Facebook post, Mullen wrote, "You were not grown from my body but grew in my heart and will always be my baby." After nearly two years of living with them, the nurse adopted Small. “I had nobody else to call Mom. I’m not alone anymore,” Small said.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Small and her babies to fund everything from education to childcare. The teenager got to experience the life of a regular 15-year-old and eventually even graduated. Her aspiration is to become a social worker and reach out to other teen moms like Mullen did. As for the nurse, she enjoys every bit of “being a grandma.” She is also proud to see Small grow up. “I’ve seen her blossom from a scared teenager who has no idea how to do this to a total boss mom,” Mullen remarked.