If you go inside Katrina Mullen’s home, three adorable toddlers would come running up to you.
Toys are everywhere, toddlers laughing, screaming, and playing.
They are a big family, and they are all happy.
Katrina describes it as happy chaos.
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It all started last August 2020.
A nervous and worried 14-year-girl named Shariya Small arrived at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis, where Katrina was a seasoned NICU nurse.
She was timid and reluctant to share her story, but one thing was evident, she was always alone.
Soon, beautiful triplets were born.
Shariya gave birth to triplets Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah.
However, they were born prematurely, only 26 weeks gestation.
The triplets had to spend over five months in the care of the NICU department where Katrina was assigned.
“She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Katrina recalled in an interview with TODAY.
The kind nurse also noticed that Shariya didn’t even have food with her whenever she was in the hospital with her babies.
This got the NICU nurse worried.
Does she have a problem? Is anyone taking care of her at home?
Even though Katrina was worried, she didn’t force the teenager to talk to her.
She gave her time.
Soon, Shariya started asking questions about her babies.
Katrina gave her important tips about her babies, such as the proper way to bathe, feed, and soothe them.
The kind nurse also revealed her own story of being a teen mom, and at 16, she opted to put her son up for adoption.
“Something shifted after I told her that I was a teen mom,” Katrina said.
Soon, Shariya started to talk to Katrina. She became her confidant, her mentor, and someone she could trust.
It was a big world for a young mother like Shariya, and Katrina became her support system.
Before going home, Katrina gave her cellphone number to Shariya in case the latter needed help, and she did.
She would regularly face-timed Katrina.
One day, one of the triplets, Samari, was rushed back to the hospital.
The child was malnourished, and upon admission, the hospital called the DSS or Department of Social Services (DSS).
This was when Katrina received a call from DSS.
“The caseworker said that Shariya and her babies were being removed from their home,” Katrina recalled. “And then she goes, ‘Shariya said she’d like to come live with you. Would you be willing?’”
Katrina said “yes” to the person on the other line without second thoughts.
With that, Katrina, a single mom of five, took in a single teen mom of three.
With Katrina’s help, Shariya went back to school.
After some time, Katrina legally adopted Shariya, making her family bigger and happier.
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Shariya, now 17, has been accepted to college on an academic scholarship.
“This is a success story, and this success revolves around her. I just gave her a place to put her roots and to flourish where she needed to grow,” said Katrina.
Shariya plans to pay it forward someday and help other teen mothers.
Watch the touching and beautiful story of Katrina and Shariya’s family below.
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