Life can throw curveballs, and few are as challenging as navigating parenthood alone, especially as a first-time mom at the age of 14, facing the added complexity of premature triplets. It’s a scenario that feels overwhelming just to imagine, a path fraught with potential pitfalls and the desperate need for support. Yet, within these daunting circumstances, sometimes human kindness shines brightest, connecting people in ways that redefine what family truly means. This is the extraordinary story of Shariya Small, a young mother, and Katrina Mullen, a neonatal nurse, whose lives intertwined in a hospital’s intensive care unit, leading to an incredible act of love and commitment.
Shariya Small was just 14 years old when she welcomed three tiny lives into the world: Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah. Born prematurely at a fragile 26 weeks gestation, each baby weighed less than two pounds, facing an uphill battle for survival in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their journey in the NICU was a long one, stretching for more than five months as they fought to grow stronger and healthier before they could finally go home. During this critical time, Shariya spent countless hours by their side, a young figure navigating a complex medical world mostly by herself.
It was during these long days and nights in the NICU that Katrina Mullen, a seasoned neonatal nurse with 23 years of experience, noticed Shariya. Katrina saw the young mother visiting her babies alone for days at a time, a solitary presence in a unit typically bustling with family support. It was a sight that deeply resonated with Katrina, herself a single mother of five boys, who understood the unique challenges a young mother faces. The lack of a visible support system for Shariya “broke her heart,” Katrina shared, recognizing a vulnerability that spoke volumes.
Initially, Shariya was reserved and timid, wary of engaging with the hospital staff and fearing judgment. But Katrina patiently reached out, offering small gestures of kindness like asking how she was holding up or if she had eaten. A pivotal moment came when Katrina decided to share a deeply personal part of her own history: she, too, had been a teen mother, having her first child at 16 and later making the difficult decision to give him up for adoption. This shared experience created an immediate bridge between them, offering Shariya a sense of understanding and acceptance she hadn’t felt before.
“I am very familiar with how scary it is to be pregnant at a young age like that,” Katrina told Shariya, offering not just empathy but a lifeline. She made it clear she was there if Shariya needed anything, if she just needed someone to talk to. Shariya, feeling she was likely the only teen mom on the unit, began to open up, finding comfort and advice in Katrina. “That’s when we started really clicking, because I knew she wasn’t judging me. I started feeling like I could talk to her about anything,” Shariya recalled, describing how Katrina quickly became her primary source of support.
As the babies grew stronger and prepared for discharge in January 2021, after their extensive five-month stay, Katrina gave Shariya her phone number. The intention was simply for Shariya to call if she had questions or concerns once she was home. However, the calls came frequently, often with Shariya feeling overwhelmed and in tears, struggling to care for the triplets without adequate help. “When I was upset, overwhelmed and crying with the babies, I would call her,” Shariya said, adding that Katrina would tell her to just breathe and offer guidance.
Katrina quickly realized the extent of Shariya’s need. The constant calls and obvious lack of support at home began to concern her. She didn’t know the details of Shariya’s living situation initially, but it became clear that the young mother was facing immense challenges. Shariya and the babies were living with a relative in Kokomo, about an hour away from Katrina’s home in Brownsburg, Indiana. Katrina decided to visit, bringing gifts like clothes and bottles, and was troubled by what she saw.
The living situation was far from ideal for raising three infants. Shariya was sleeping on the couch, and the triplets had only one playpen and one bassinet between them. Katrina also noticed that Samari, the little boy, didn’t look well; he was very thin and covered in eczema, indicating potential health issues. “It was not a place for her to raise babies,” Katrina said, feeling “really concerned about his health.” Following Katrina’s encouragement, Shariya took Samari to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with failure to thrive, a condition linked to insufficient weight gain, and later found to have a milk allergy.
While Samari was hospitalized, Shariya needed someone to watch the two girls, Serenitee and Sarayah. She asked Katrina, who happened to be on vacation that week, if she could take them. Katrina agreed without hesitation, bringing the girls into her home, where she lived with three of her own sons, aged 16, 14, and 7. It was while Serenitee and Sarayah were staying with Katrina that she received a phone call from a caseworker with Child Protective Services (CPS).
The caseworker informed Katrina that Shariya and the babies were being removed from the home they were living in and would be placed into foster care. Worse, there was a high probability they would all be separated, a devastating outcome for a young mother and her premature triplets who needed to stay together. The caseworker then revealed that Shariya had requested to live with Katrina. “Would you be willing to foster them?” the caseworker asked. “Yes, I’ll take them,” Katrina replied instantly.
“I didn’t even think it through,” Katrina admitted about the life-changing decision. The thought of the teen mom and her fragile triplets being split up in the system was unbearable, especially knowing how hard it would be to find a foster home willing to take on the care of a teenager and three babies with medical needs. “Everybody in my life thought I was insane, and I probably was at that point, but I could not let her be separated from them,” she explained, driven by an unwavering resolve. She knew Shariya was “smart and she’s dedicated, and she wants to be the best mom she can be,” and she simply wanted to give her the safe space and support needed to continue being that for her children.
Becoming a foster parent required completing various courses and background checks, but Katrina was determined. Shariya, for her part, had no doubt that Katrina would step up. “I had no doubt in my mind that she wouldn’t let us go into foster care,” Shariya shared, describing Katrina as “selfless” and “caring,” someone who “would give somebody the clothes off her back.” And so, on April 9, 2021, Shariya and her three children moved into Katrina’s bustling home, arriving with just one duffle bag of belongings, embarking on a new chapter together.
The adjustment wasn’t without its challenges – blending two families, especially one with a teenager and three toddlers, requires patience and love. But Katrina’s sons soon embraced Shariya and the babies, and they began to find their rhythm as a new, expanded family unit. “I just did what I felt was the right thing to do, and I don’t regret it one bit,” Katrina reflected, acknowledging that “It has been a crazy ride, and it’s hard and it’s stressful and I’m exhausted all the time and so is she, but we make it work.” Shariya echoed the sentiment, recognizing that it was a struggle, but always choosing her children, knowing she “never expected it to be easy.”
After 688 days of fostering, their bond deepened, solidifying into something permanent. Shariya’s mother agreed to terminate her parental rights, paving the way for the final step. On February 6 of this year, Katrina formally adopted Shariya, making their familial connection official and forever. With this adoption, Katrina also became the grandmother of Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah. “I just really felt like she needed somebody to support her and let her grow,” Katrina said, explaining her decision to adopt.
Shariya, now 17, doesn’t necessarily call Katrina “mom” in the traditional sense, but the relationship is just as profound. As Katrina puts it, Shariya “just became her permanent person. She doesn’t have to worry about ever being alone. She has a place to grow, and she’s done amazing since she’s been with me.” With a stable and loving environment, Shariya has thrived. She successfully earned her high school diploma from an alternative high school that even offered child care, allowing her to balance her studies and motherhood.
Looking to the future, Shariya is reaching for the stars. She has been accepted into two local colleges on academic scholarship and plans to pursue a degree in social work. Her aspiration is to use her own experiences to help other teen mothers, a goal that resonates deeply with the path she has walked. “I want to do something that will help people,” she shared, embodying a remarkable determination to turn her challenges into a source of strength for others.
Life in the Mullen-Small household is busy, caring for teenagers and toddlers requires constant energy and patience. Katrina continues to work weekends at the hospital while helping care for the nearly three-year-old triplets during the week. She admits Shariya “pushes her limits like any teenager would,” but their love is undeniable. Katrina is “overjoyed” to be a grandma, loving the triplets who, despite some developmental challenges from their premature start, are growing well and developing their own unique personalities. “They’re my best friends,” Shariya said of her children, finding immense joy in watching them blossom.
Their inspiring story has garnered significant attention, leading to an outpouring of public support, including a GoFundMe campaign created by Katrina to build a financial cushion for Shariya’s future college education and family needs. The campaign has far exceeded its goal, raising over $57,000 as of press time, a testament to the community’s desire to support this remarkable family. However, the visibility has also brought some hurtful comments for Shariya online, highlighting the judgment some people still harbor towards her circumstances. Katrina notes that Shariya’s pregnancy “wasn’t a good situation” and the babies’ father isn’t in their lives, but they have chosen to keep details about Shariya’s past private.
Despite the challenges and the scrutiny, Shariya remains focused on her family and building a happy, healthy environment for her children. She reflects on the importance of empathy and understanding. “If you open your heart and you don’t judge anybody based off one thing, then we’d all be good in the world,” she wisely stated. This family’s journey reminds us that strength can be found in the most unexpected places, and that the most profound connections are often forged in moments of vulnerability and immense need. It is a powerful testament to the idea that love, support, and the willingness to simply say “yes” can create a future brighter than anyone could have imagined, transforming lonely struggles into a tapestry of shared dreams and unbreakable bonds. In the quiet corners of a hospital NICU, a nurse and a young mother found each other, and in doing so, built a family that stands as a beacon of hope and the boundless capacity of the human heart. They are a family born not just of circumstance, but of profound love and courageous choice, proving that family is truly where the heart finds its home, no matter how unexpected the journey.
Related posts:
The Ultimate Act Of Kindness Of NICU Nurse Who Adopted 14-Year-Old Mother And Her Triplets
NICU Nurse Katrina Mullen Adopts Teen Mom Who Delivered Triplets Alone
Teen mom with triplets had no support. Her babies’ NICU nurse adopted her.
