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Nurse Nora Lussier adopted her daughter, Pamela, after first meeting her as a patient in the NICU
NEED TO KNOW
- Nurse Nora Lussier felt an instant connection to Pamela, a baby exposed to drugs and facing medical challenges
- Lussier and her husband Martin fast-tracked Pamela’s foster placement after her original foster family couldn’t take her
- The couple officially adopted Pamela on her second birthday, surrounded by loved ones and fellow NICU nurses
When nurse Nora Lussier clocked in for her shift in the hospital, she never could’ve known she was about to meet her future daughter.
Lussier, who works in the special care nursery at Beverly Hospital, officially adopted her daughter Pamela two years after first meeting her as an infant patient in the hospital. In an interview with WFXT via CNN Newsource, Lussier said she instantly had a connection to Pamela, who had been exposed to drugs before she was born.
Pamela’s biological parents were unable to be a part of her life. She also soon learned that the foster family that was supposed to take her was unable to because of her medical issues, which included a feeding tube.
“I was kind of sitting there with her and thinking, ‘Well, she is really cute,’ ” Lussier told the outlet. “Then, all my coworkers, all my friends said, ‘You should just take her. Just do it. Your husband won’t notice.’”
Lussier and her husband Martin wanted to become foster parents but weren’t expecting the day to come so quickly. However, Martin was soon won over by Pamela.
“Seeing her come home and smile and be happy and laugh, I knew it was the right call,” Martin said.
Luckily, the state was able to fast-track Pamela’s foster placement with the couple, since Lussier had cared for her in the hospital.
“I was like, ‘Oh wait, am I her parent? Oh my God, I’m her parent. What have we done?’ ” remembered Lussier. “I really do feel like I just blacked out and suddenly I had a kid.”
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On Friday, July 17, Lussier and her husband officially adopted Pamela on her second birthday. The monumental moment was witnessed by 25 of the family’s loved ones, including a few fellow NICU nurses.
“This has been an incredible undertaking, but I can’t think of a better person to do it with and a better person to do it for,” said Martin.
Although Pamela has had a few developmental delays, she is still progressing well. Lussier and her husband said they feel like Pamela was always supposed to be their daughter.
“They say not to take work home with you, which I definitely did. Worked out well for me, too,” said Lussier. “We couldn’t have asked for a better kid.”
Read the original article on People
