Being a nurse is one of the toughest jobs and being the director of nursing is taking things even a step further. Nobody knows this better than than Liz Smith, who works in Brighton, Massachusetts at the Franciscan Children’s Hospital.
There was an infant in the hospital named Gisele who was born prematurely at 29 weeks gestation. She had been diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome because the mother abused drugs during pregnancy. Nobody visited Gisele while she was in the hospital and the State gained custody in 2016.
Liz visited her at the end of each workday. And now, Gisele is officially her daughter after she volunteered to foster the young girl.
Nurse Adopts Baby Girl Whose Parents Didn't Visit Her in the Hospital for 5 Months https://t.co/Ntn3Piri51
— People (@people) April 6, 2019
The hospital runs a blog and reports that Gisele spent three months on ventilator support after weighing less than 2 pounds at birth. She was then transferred to the hospital and the 45-year-old nursing director visited her regularly.
Liz had recently found out she was not a likely candidate for IVF treatments so she decided that Gisele would be an excellent choice to foster. The young girl was nine months old at the time and the biological parents could not look after her.
“When I got the call that the parents’ rights were terminated, I imagined that it would be a day of relief,” Smith told the blog. “And it was a day I was really sad. I was really happy. But I was really sad for them. I was gaining her but they were losing her. And to try to battle addiction and being a mom, that’s impossible.”
Massachusetts nurse adopts baby who was abandoned at hospital
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) April 6, 2019
After little baby Giselle's parents visits became less and less frequent, the nurse decided to adopt the girl herself.https://t.co/YC4WVqUxx8
Gisele was in the custody of the State and after two years, Liz became her mother officially. Although the little girl still needs to use a feeding tube to receive nutrition, her new mother is helping her to try some solid foods. It seems as if Gisele loves avocado and pizza.
A judge had the following to say on adoption day:
“When a judge walks in the room, everyone stands out of respect. But today I stand in respect for you, Liz because you deserve the respect from this room. A birthing day is a miracle. But adopting a child from miles away is destiny. That’s what brought you two together.”
When Liz was only 19 years old, her mother passed away and she feels the need to help others. She is honoring her mother’s legacy by following her example. “My mom was a pediatric nurse who always put others first,” Smith said. “So I grew up wanting to be a nurse, too.”
“Since the moment I met her, there was something behind her striking blue eyes capturing my attention,” Smith said of her new daughter. “I felt that I needed to love this child and keep her safe.”
“Her new favorite song is ‘You Are My Sunshine’. And every time she sings it, I think to myself, ‘You have no idea.’”
Gisele may have had a rocky start but it looks like her new mother will be there to help her through.
