Having triplets at 14, there was so much Shariya needed, and someone came through for her big time.
People thrive in communities, especially during challenging times like pregnancy, when support from loved ones can make all the difference. Sadly, 14-year-old Shariya Small had no one by her side when she gave birth to triplets at an Indiana hospital, according to TODAY. Aside from NICU nurse Katrina Mullen, who noticed how often Shariya was alone, there was no one to care for the young mother. “She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Mullen remembered.
In 2020, Shariya gave birth to triplets—two girls and a boy—at just 26 weeks, and they spent five months in the NICU. Over time, she and Mullen formed a bond. With little support, the nurse stepped in, teaching Shariya everything she could about newborn care. In return, Shariya shared TikTok tips and trends with Mullen. During this difficult time, Mullen confided that she had also been a teen mom, placing her son up for adoption at 16. “Something shifted after I told her that I was a teen mom. That’s when we developed trust,” Mullen shared.
When Shariya was discharged from the hospital, the nurse thoughtfully shared her contact information with her in case she needed help. The confused teen mom would often call up the nurse, overwhelmed with having to do it all alone and that too threefold. “I’d help her when she was crying and overwhelmed. I couldn’t fix it, but I would listen and support her and be like, ‘You can do this,’” Mullen said. However, something didn’t sit right with the nurse and she drove to Shariya’s relative’s home where she was living. The nurse was flabbergasted at the state the mother and her triplets were restricted to.
Soon, Mullen received a call from the Department of Social Services notifying her that Shariya was being removed from her home and had requested to live with her. The nurse who had 3 kids of her own wasn’t sure how things would work out. She recalled worrying that no one would take in “a teen mom and her preemies.” “I just kept thinking, ‘I have to do this.' I knew Shariya was intelligent and resilient and she just needed a safe place to put her roots. I knew it would be hard, but we'd figure it out,” the nurse said. What followed was an effort to borrow equipment, clothing, and everything possible to make things work until the duo finally found a lifestyle that worked for them.
Mullen came through in the darkest and loneliest times for Shariya and stuck with her, even opening her home to her and her kids. Eventually, the nurse adopted Shariya and they have been living together since. The nurse documented quite a journey of hers with Shariya and her babies on Facebook over the years. Recently, she shared a post on Shariya’s birthday with glimpses of their family. She wrote, “I’ve seen you grow from a scared and timid young mama to a fierce, strong and confident young woman over the past 2.5 years. I’m proud to be your mama and you made me a granny.” She changed not just one but four lives with her decision to extend kindness.
This article originally appeared one month ago.
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