The story of the woman who saved the lives of a 14-year-old mother and her three children by adopting them

NICU nurse Katrina Mullen was unable to find a home for a 14-year-old mother who had just given birth to triplets. She made the incredible decision to take in teenage mother Shariya Small and her kids, and she adopted them. As a result, she has received a lot of attention and admiration from hundreds of people.

Katrina is a newborn critical care nurse at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis. She is well known for her kindness. Her reputation for going above and beyond reached new heights when she adopted Shariya and her premature triplets, Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah, who were born at a scant 26 weeks.

Katrina and Shariya became close while the five months the babies stayed in the NICU, often with the young mother alone. After realizing how hard it would be to locate Shariya a foster home, Katrina formally adopted her and the triplets more than two years after they first met.

Shariya initially concealed her personal life. When she gave birth to the triplets, she was a student in the eighth grade. However, a link grew when she learned about Katrina’s own story—that of a teenage mother who had given up a child for adoption. After they were released, Katrina continued to communicate, helped out, and eventually took in Shariya and the triplets for a total of 688 days.

Katrina observed the challenging living conditions and health concerns that one of the triplets was facing at this time. When Katrina and Shariya were taken from their home, Shariya expressed her want to stay with her.

Katrina has now completed the adoption of the triplets and Shariya. To help Shariya finance her growing family, Katrina created a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $100,000. The heartwarming stories of Jerry Windle and Katrina Mullen show that although adopting a child requires a loving heart, the challenges can be overcome with compassion and determination.