As heart-breaking as it is, there are several valid reasons why one might not feel they are adequate enough to care for their baby. For some new mothers, it may be a matter of not having the finances to properly raise another life. Others might not find themselves physically, emotionally, or mentally capable of caring for a child. As for other mothers, the special needs of their child might be too burdensome of them to handle; and therefore, they might believe that another family might be better when it comes to giving their child the care that they deserve.
For little Giselle, who was born at just two pounds, her birth mother, who was struggling with narcotic and opiate addiction at the time, decided to leave her at the hospital to be taken care of by someone who would be more suitable for her medical needs.
Being at Franciscan Children’s in Massachusetts for acute rehab for five months, Giselle had no visitors and no legal parent, that was, until the Director of Nursing at Brighton’s Franciscan Children’s Hospital, Liz Smith was referred to her.
“A few of the nurses at Franciscan Children’s Hospital approached me and asked, ‘Have you met Giselle?’ and I said, ‘No. Why?’ and they said, ‘She needs a medical foster home, and you two are the perfect pair.'”
While it was completely unexpected, the timing was perfect not just for Giselle who would be needing a forever home but also for Smith who had always wanted to be a mother but would not have been able to because her health insurance wouldn’t cover in-vitro fertilization. And considering Smith’s career path, it was clear that she would be able to meet Giselle’s medical needs, making her a great fit for the child in the long-run.
“We talk about the power of love, but to witness how it can transform a life and to witness how it has transformed her life and mine is unbelievable,” Liz states.
Although Liz was initially referred to Giselle as a foster parent, she ended up officially adopting her in October! Fortunately, both Liz and Giselle are doing great, and the now-two-year-old girl is quite healthy.
We’re confident that Liz is a great match for the little girl! Not every perfect mother-child pairing involves blood relation. Likewise, not every blood-related mother and child are necessarily perfect together.
Learn more about Giselle’s adoption story in the video below!
