When nurse Jess Hamm first laid eyes on baby Delilah, she saw a sweet innocent baby that was severely abused and malnourished.
But she also saw something else.
“She was just the most beautiful baby, I had ever seen,” Hamm tells ABC News.
It was love at first sight. But not the kind when you see something cute or feel pity.
This love was the unconditional kind.
“I was like, ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to take her home,'” Hamm said.
When Delilah arrived at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, she had broken bones, a skull fracture, and weighed just 11 lbs. at 14-months.
“My heart was broken. I don’t want to cry. She was just so lifeless, but she still held onto my finger,” Hamm said.
When Hamm held the child, who was nothing but skin and bones, and looked into her eyes, she knew that Delilah needed her.
Since Hamm, who had unsuccessfully tried to become pregnant, had always wanted a family and to be a mother, she made up her mind to adopt Delilah.
Hamm reached out to the Florida Department of Children and Families to start the adoption process.
That’s when she learned that Delilah had a twin sister that was also in the same hospital being treated for abuse and neglect.
Hamm didn’t think twice about adopting Caroline too.
“There’s nothing more that I wanted to do than be these girls’ mother,” she said.
Now she calls the twins her “little Hamms.” Their little family is thriving thanks to mom’s unconditional love.
The girls have proper nutrition and care and are meeting their developmental goals.
“They’ve been through so much and they’re completely different kids. If you had met them when I met them you would be amazed,” Hamm told Action News.
The twins have grown to have their own unique little personalities. Caroline loves to be social and help others.
She’s also very protective of Delilah.
Delilah is full of charm and loves to hand out kisses. She’s also really good at finding ways to keep busy and entertain herself.
This family’s days are spent singing songs, celebrating wins, and making new discoveries. Hamm says her life is now filled with joy thanks to her choice to adopt. She hopes that sharing her story will help others to bring the same type of joy and happiness into their lives.
“I hope when people hear my story it opens them up to the possibilities of adopting,” Hamm told CBS 47.
Hamm’s story ended up going viral. The story on ABC News’ YouTube channel was watched more than 251,000 times. That’s a lot of people who can be inspired to adopt! One YouTube commenter wrote:
“God bless this nurse with an amazingly beautiful loving heart. Those precious angels that you opened your heart and home to are going to be such gifts to you. May all three of you have a wonderful and amazing life together.
Learn more about this beautiful family love story in the video below!
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