Nurse Who Adopted Teen With Triplets Glad To See Her Become A ‘Total Boss’ Mom Whose Kids Are ‘Thriving’

Aug 16, 2023

While having a baby is one of the biggest blessings a woman could ever have, it’s also not an easy one. Every woman who wishes to have a baby deserves to have a bundle of joy in their life, but not all of them are ready to have one. Then again, life always has other plans for them. Somewhere along the way, people come into their lives to guide them.

In April 2023, a neonatal nurse from Indiana named Katrina Mullen shared a story about how she welcomed with open arms a 14-year-old mom and her three kids into her life.

Mullen said she noticed that then-8th grader Shariya Small, who was a patient at the hospital where she was working, had been taking care of her child on her own after she gave birth. Yes, no one was there to look after her or her baby at the hospital. In fact, Small would eat a packed lunch or snacks to fill her tummy, making Mullen wonder if the teen was getting support from her family at all.

“She’d be there alone for days at a time sitting at her babies’ bedside,” Mullen told TODAY in an interview.

But Mullen didn’t delve further into Small’s personal life when the latter told her that she didn’t want to open up about it.

Small’s triplets, Serenitee, Samari and Sarayah, were born at just 26 weeks in 2020. Therefore, they had to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Indianapolis's Community Hospital North.

Mullen then taught Small about how to take care of newborn children. However, Small started trusting Mullen after she told her that she placed a son for adoption when she was a teen, at the age of 16.

“Something shifted after I told her that I was a teen mom,” Mullen said. “That’s when we really developed trust.”

Mullen then gave Small her number before the triplets were discharged and told her that she could always reach out to her if she ever needed anything. They then started communicating with each other, texting and FaceTiming every now and then. Mullen slowly became Small’s support system.

But Mullen was stunned when she visited Small at her relative’s house in Kokomo, Indiana after she saw the babies sleeping in a playpen.

“It was not a place for her to raise babies,” Mullen said.

Small’s son, Samari, was covered in eczema and looked “extremely skinny.” Samari was then admitted to a hospital where he was diagnosed with “failure to thrive.”

The Department of Social Services (DSS) was notified of Samari's diagnosis. So, the DSS contacted Mullen and told her that Small wanted to stay at her home. She didn’t hesitate even though she already had five children at home.

“I knew it would be impossible to find a foster home that would take all four of them. No one was going to take a teen mom and her preemie triplets,” Mullen said. 

Mullen fostered Small and the babies for 668 days. Small graduated from an alternative high school and said she hoped to pursue a career in social work.

In February 2023, Mullen officially became Small’s mom after she received the adoption papers.

“She just amazes me every day. When she’s frustrated with the babies, she never raises her voice. She’s just blossoming into this incredible woman.”

Meanwhile, she set up a GoFundMe to help Small and her babies so they could “build a financial cushion.”

“I'm her mom — and I'm never going anywhere,” Mullen said.

Since adopting Small and instantly becoming the grandmother to her three triplets, the 45-year-old Mullen told People her “life has come full circle.”

In the same interview, Small revealed that after falling pregnant at 14, she felt “like, ‘I don’t want to be a mom right now.’” She said she often found herself alone in the NICU after the birth of the triplets as she “couldn’t relate to all the other moms on the floor.” However, Mullen was able to build a bond with Small after sharing her similar experiences and now their lives are inseparable.

Mullen told the outlet since adopting Small, her life as a grandparent has been filled with joy.

“The most fun for me is being a grandma. That’s my favorite part. They are such a joy to me. They make me smile and laugh so much every day. If I am stressed or I’m in a bad mood, or something going on that I don’t know how to fix, I just sit with them or one of them will run up to me and say, ‘You need a hug?” I mean, it’s just the best,” Mullen gushed.

She said watching Small grow into a “fierce” and capable mother has also been incredibly satisfying.

“I’ve seen her blossom from a scared teenager who has no idea how to do this to a total boss mom. She’s such a hands-on parent. She is with the three of them 24/7 right now. I’ve gone from doing most everything for the babies when they first got to me, to now she runs the show, and I just am there if she needs backup or if she needs a break,” Mullen said, adding that the triplets, who turned 3 in August 2023, were “all thriving and doing great.”

What can you say about the nurse’s decision to adopt the teen mom? Are you happy for her? Let us know what you think and pass this on to anyone who might find this story interesting!