Once upon a time, in a hospital in Indianapolis, a mom of five boys noticed a 14-year-old girl, Small, who was always alone, tending to her premature triplets – two girls and a boy, each weighing less than two pounds. Mullen, the mom of five, felt sorry for Small and decided to check up on her – “Hey there, kiddo! You hungry? Want some Starbucks?” Just like that, Small found herself a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on.
Small was shy, rarely spoke to the hospital staff, and feared being judged. But after Mullen shared her teenage pregnancy experience and offered to help, things changed for the better. Small began warming up to Mullen, who quickly became her primary support system. “I was probably the only teen mom on the floor, and it finally felt good to talk to somebody,” said Small, now 17. “That’s when we started really clicking, because I knew she wasn’t judging me. I started feeling like I could talk to her about anything.”
After nearly five months in the NICU, the triplets were well enough to leave the hospital. Mullen and Small exchanged numbers and, shortly afterward, Mullen discovered that Small needed her help more than she thought. Small was calling Mullen multiple times a day, in tears. And following Mullen’s advice, Small promptly brought her son to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with failure to thrive due to an allergy to his formula.
When Small asked Mullen to watch her two girls so she could go to the hospital with her son, Mullen obliged. Shortly afterward, Mullen received a call from Child Protective Services; Small and her three children were going to be removed from their home and probably separated in foster care. The caseworker asked Mullen if she would be willing to foster them. “Yes, I’ll take them,” Mullen replied. “I didn’t even think it through,” she said. “Everybody in my life thought I was insane, and I probably was at that point, but I could not let her be separated from them.”
Mullen completed the required courses and background checks to become a foster parent, and Small and her three children moved into Mullen’s house in April 2021. Although it was an adjustment, they’ve found their groove as a new family. Small enrolled in an alternative high school that has child care and is set to graduate this June. She has been accepted to two local colleges and plans to study social work to help other teen moms.
On February 6, 2022, Small became Mullen’s adopted daughter, and Serenitee, Samari, and Sarayah, her grandchildren. “I just really felt like she needed somebody to support her and let her grow,” Mullen said. Small’s story has been covered in the news media. Unfortunately, she’s received hurtful comments about her age and circumstances. But she’s moving forward and focusing on raising her babies in a happy, healthy environment. “If you open your heart and you don’t judge anybody based off one thing, then we’d all be good in the world,” said Small.
In conclusion, this story proves that love, compassion, and Starbucks can go a long way. It’s heartwarming to see that Small found a second home, and Mullen is an amazing mom and grandma. We wish them all the best and hope Small’s story inspires others to open their hearts and not judge people based on one thing.
Serious News: washingtonpost
