A nurse who adopted a prematurely born child has told her story. Liz Smith, who was working at Franciscan Children's hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, spoke to reporters of her decision to adopt the 8-month-old child who had spent 5 months in her hospital without a single visitor.
The decision was made as social services were trying to put the child into foster care and Liz's mother had just passed, a factor she said was pivotal in making her take the decision to adopt the child, alongside the fact that Liz was finding it difficult to conceive her own children.
She said:
"My mom was a pediatric nurse who always put others first. So I grew up wanting to be a nurse, too. I never imagined becoming a mom would be a challenge. It's a desire you can try to push away and fill with other distractions, but it never goes away."
But on seeing 8-month-old Gisele, she said:
"I'm going to foster this baby. I'm going to be her mother. Since the moment I met her, there was something behind her striking blue eyes capturing my attention. I felt that I needed to love this child and keep her safe."
It did however take time for the process to be formalised, particularly up to the point where legal parental rights had to be terminated. Liz adds:
"Leaving the parking lot of the hospital with Gisele and a car full of baby stuff, I was in shock that it was happening. I was excited but nervous, realizing that I was committing everything I had to this child who might not be in my life forever. The day I got the call that their parental rights were terminated was very sad. My gain was another's loss. It's a feeling difficult to describe when you are experiencing this life-changing moment that someone else is as well, in the opposite way. The bottom line is: It's devastating for another family."
Gisele is now 4 years old and has continued to live the most amazing life with a family that loves her deeply.
[Based on reporting by: Positive Outlooks]
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