A nurse's heart was broken when she saw a one-year old abused baby in the hospital where she works. Jess Hamm is a nurse at the Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida and during one of her working days she saw baby Delilah being wheeled into the hospital. Delilah was just a year old and had been abandoned after being terribly abused. She took her up for adoption and then found something about Delilah which changed her life. So what happened?
Image Source: www.insideedition.com
Jess was just a nurse at the pediatric wing at a Jacksonville hospital and came across the curious case of baby Delilah during her shift one day. Not only was the one-year-old baby terribly abused and neglected, nobody was quite sure what could be done with the kid. Delilah was of course treated but since she was abandoned the hospital staff did not know what to do with her.
Image Source: lovewhatmatters.com
Delilah was suffering from non-accidental trauma and it was clear that her family had mistreated her. Not only was she completely neglected and abused but she was also starved. Doctors discovered that Delilah was malnourished and her family had neglected to feed her or had starved her on purpose. As a result her body was terribly weak and she had no immunity, especially since she was just one.
Image Source: dearly.com
Doctors were surprised to notice that Delilah had fractured her skull in places. She also had broken bones and that would obviously mean that somebody had abused the baby on purpose over the course of weeks. In fact when she was brought to the hospital, she was on the verge of unconsciousness.
Image Source: valuablestories.com
Jess revealed in an interview that when Delilah was brought to the hospital the doctors didn't have much hope left for her. But the moment Jess saw her she decided to take her home. The only way to legally do that would he adoption and since Delilah's parents were not to be found, the process was simpler.
Image Source: www.theepochtimes.com
Jess revealed that when she first saw the baby she felt pangs of heartbreak because she was so small and yet so frail and injured. She revealed that baby Delilah was almost lifeless and yet held onto Jess's fingers and that was the moment she decided to take the next step. Adopting Delilah was also convenient as she would not be returned to her parents even if they claimed her, owing to her horrific treatment.
Image Source: rumble.com
Jess said that she has always wanted a family. She is 30 years old, she is single and obviously has a busy career. So she had always been open to adoption. She revealed in an interview that she had always wanted a family of her own. And in fact though she had no immediate plans of starting a family, she made up her mind after seeing Delilah.
Image Source: www.yahoo.com
Delilah's recovery process took a huge toll on Jess. The nurse reveals that Delilah was just skin and bones when she was admitted and nobody was sure if she would survive the trauma. Jess says that before had treatment has begun Delilah was not eating, she wasn't moving a lot and was not all that responsive. The days leading to Delilah's recovery put a lot of pressure on Jess as she was already very attached.
Image Source: incrediblenat.com
After Delilah was considerably better Jess decided to go ahead with the legal formalities of adoption. As per rules, she set up a meeting with case workers at Florida Department of Children and Families. But Jess was about to receive the biggest shock of her life. The caseworkers told her something that would change Jess's life.
Image Source: www.wkrg.com
Jess made a shocking revelation about Delilah's family. Turns out Delilah had a twin named Caroline who was also pretty injured and weak, but was at the same hospital. In fact the moment she found out about her twin she applied to adopt them both and was even approved for that.
Image Source: www.wptv.com
Delilah and Caroline were of course living with the same family and were both abused. Caroline was also suffering but she was not as weak as Delilah. She was also malnourished and had minor fractures all over her body. While Caroline was in a steadier condition, Delilah had to have a drain placed on her brain to fix her injuries and Jess wasn't even sure she would survive.
Image Source: www.inspiringday.com
The moment Jess's colleagues and the hospital staff learnt about the recovery of the twins and how Jess was adopting them both, they started a mini campaign of their own. Not only did they come together to donate clothes to the twins they also made provisions for toys and other necessities as everything had to be arranged on a short notice and Jess had her hands full with legal formalities.
Image Source: yahoo.com
Jess officially adopted the twins in Halloween last year and soon after took them to Disneyland to celebrate their being together as a family. She reveals it's not just peace over giving the kids a secure home but it's also about her own personal fulfillment and filling her own void as she has wanted a family for long.
Image Source: www.lintelligencer.com
Jess notes that the twins are actually pretty different from each other. Caroline is the outgoing one. She loves to talk to strangers, to socialise and she is very protective of her sister Delilah. Whereas Delilah is the quieter one in spite of being very sweet. Doctors believed the trauma may have affected her in a stronger way than Caroline.
Image Source: www.actionnewsjax.com
Jess's story made headlines all across the world especially since it’s so deeply humanitarian and has such a happy ending. Seldom does everything fall perfectly into place after such an accident. But Jess has been enjoying every moment of the stardom especially since her life has now changed so drastically and people all around her have been incredibly supportive of her decision.
Image Source: www.yahoo.com
Jess has confessed that she is making the most of the gift of motherhood. From buying their cribs to setting up a family she has had a tremendous change. Plus she has a full-fledged career to deal with. And yet Jess has never been happier. In an interview Jess reveals that she often takes the twins to the hospital as everyone loves them so much.
Image Source: www.trendcentral.com