1-Year-Old Twins Land in ICU after Abuse. Nurse Who Treated Them Adopts Them 1 Year Later
Jacksonville, Florida, nurse Jess Hamm was working at Wolfson Children’s Hospital just one year ago when her life would change forever.
A 1-year old girl named Delilah had been admitted to the hospital due to “non-accidental trauma.”
Brought directly to the pediatric intensive care unit, Delilah had been the subject terrible abuse.
The young girl was extremely malnourished, suffering from multiple broken bones and a fractured skull.
Delilah was so weak that at 14 months old, she couldn’t sit up on her own or hold a bottle.
It is also not clear what happened to her biological parents.
Hamm was absolutely devastated when Delilah came in. “My heart was broken,” she said. “She was just so lifeless, but she still held on to my finger.”
But in the same instant, the nurse had a gut feeling about the child. She knew she was going to take her home.
As she began the adoption process through the Florida Department of Children and Families, Hamm came upon something unexpected.
Delilah had a twin sister, Caroline, who was also in the Wolfson Children’s Hospital for her injuries.
Hamm didn’t hesitate in her next decision to adopt both girls. “They’ve been through so much,” she said.
Now the girls spend their days laughing and playing with their mom, just as children should.
They’re completely different kids. If you had met them when I met them you’d be amazed,” mom Hamm said of their transition to life in a loving home.
Hamm had always wanted to be a mom, but never knew if adoption was right for her. Now she can’t imagine life without her girls.
Hamm says they have very different personalities. Delilah charms everyone she meets and finds endless ways to entertain herself. Caroline is very protective of her sister, a social butterfly, and loves to help others.
Now, the mom hopes to inspire others to consider opening their hearts to those who need it most. “I hope when people hear my story it opens them up to the possibilities of adopting,” Hamm said.
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