We rejoice when a child is born. It’s a miracle, and it’s a moment for family to assemble and lavish attention on the little infant. But such was not the case with Gisele Smith, who was born at a hospital in the Boston region. Liz Smith, a nurse, was startled to learn that the infant hadn’t had any visitors in months when she met him. But that’s just the beginning of the tale of how one nurse adopted a hospital-abandoned kid.
What Happened When a Nurse Adopted a Baby From the Hospital Where She Worked. Gisele, a baby girl, was delivered prematurely in July of 2016. Gisele weighed barely 1 pound, 14 ounces at birth after being delivered at 29 weeks to a woman who had taken opioids while pregnant. Gisele was later transported to Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, where she was treated for a lung problem in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit after being diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) (NICU).
Unfortunately, Gisele’s biological mother and father, as well as no one else, did not visit her after her birth. The hospital personnel provided all of Gisele’s affection and care throughout her first few months of life. That is, until Liz Simth, the hospital’s senior director of nursing, met Gisele. Liz was just strolling down the corridor when she saw Gisele, an 8-month-old baby, being wheeled toward her. Gisele had been in Franciscan Children’s Hospital for five months without receiving a single visitor.
According to Liz, Gisele’s brown curls and blue eyes drew her attention, and she inquired of the nurse, “Who is this lovely angel?” Liz paid Gisele daily visits after that. She discovered that the baby’s mother had used meth, cocaine, and heroin while pregnant. This was a memorable and significant moment for Liz. “It was my reward after a difficult day at work,” she said. While reunion with the birth parents was desired, the birth parents refused to retain their child.
As a consequence, Gisele was placed in the care of the state of Massachusetts, and social workers were looking for a home for the infant when she met Liz. Liz was allowed to become Gisele’s foster mom when she was in foster care. Liz, Gisele’s foster mother, assisted in feeding the baby through a gastrostomy tube and weaning her off the medications her biological mother had used.
“I recall some evenings, one in particular, when she was hooked up to the feed and I was going past the mirror and the possibility of losing her entered my brain,” Liz said of her time fostering Gisele. “I had to go there in my head since it was still a reality, but it made me sick.” You can’t only adore a specific fraction of the population. “You must give it your all.”
Liz made the decision to adopt Gisele at that point. Liz, now in her early forties, has been unable to conceive a child. She’d always wanted to be a mother, but her profession had kept her from trying. “My concept of family was always: In my 20s, I’ll get married, have kids, and have a huge family like the one I grew up with,” Liz told the Boston Globe. Unfortunately, the many treatments she attempted, such as IVF, were unsuccessful. She was devastated, believing she would be unable to have children.
“That was a difficult day,” Liz said when she found out the IVF wasn’t going to work for her, which is part of what makes this nurse’s adoption of a kid who needed her as much as she wanted to protect and love a child so meaningful. After Liz fostered Gisele for nine months, the birth parents’ rights were terminated, and Gisele became adoptable. Thus, the story starts when the nurse adopts a baby.
Finally, on October 18, 2018, Gisele Katherine Smith became Gisele Katherine Smith. Liz mentioned that her mother had encouraged her to lead a selfless life. Liz added, “My mother was a pediatric nurse who always put people first.” “I grew up wanting to be a nurse as well.” Liz said of Gisele, “I felt that I needed to cherish this kid and keep her safe.”
Liz tried her best to keep her safe. Gisele has continued to mature and evolve.
“Her first word was ‘badoon,’ which means balloon,” Liz said, looking back. “We still call it that now.” That doesn’t mean Liz didn’t care for Gisele’s biological family. “My gain was another person’s loss,” Liz said. “It’s a tough sensation to express when you’re experiencing this life-changing event while someone else is experiencing it in the other manner.” The final truth is that it is a tragedy for another family.”
“I was delighted yet apprehensive, thinking that I was devoting all I had to this kid who may not be in my life forever,” Liz said of the adoption. Gisele is now six years old. To see Gisele and an interview on how the nurse adopted a baby, watch this YouTube video from shortly after the adoption: