SALEM, Mass. — Two years after taking in a baby she treated in the NICU, a Beverly Hospital nurse and her husband officially adopted their daughter.
Nora Lussier, a nurse in the Special Care Nursery, felt an instant connection to her infant patient Pamela, who had been exposed to drugs before she was born.
Pamela’s biological parents could not be part of her life, and Nora soon learned the foster family that had been lined up for her could not take her in either because of her medical issues including a feeding tube.
“I was kind of sitting there with her and thinking, ‘Well, she is really cute,’” Nora told Boston 25 News. “All my coworkers, all my friends said, ‘You should just take her. Just do it. Your husband won’t notice. Think he’d notice?’”
Nora and her husband Martin had hoped to become foster parents but never expected the timeline to be so soon.
Nora emailed Pam’s social worker, doubtful she and Martin would be considered as foster parents.
But because Nora had taken care of Pam, the state was able to fast-track Pam’s foster placement.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my god. Am I her parent? Oh, my god. I’m her parent. What have we done?’” Nora joked. “I really do feel like I just blacked out and suddenly I had a kid.”
After a couple months in Beverly and a surgery for her feeding tube at Boston Children’s Hospital, Pam finally went home to the Lussiers’ Salem apartment.
Martin returned home from a bachelor party to his new baby girl.
“Seeing her come home and smile and be happy and laugh, I knew it was the right call,” Martin said. “This has been an incredible undertaking, but I can’t think of a better person to do this with and a better person to do it for.”
Last Friday, on Pam’s second birthday, Nora and Martin adopted her, with about 25 people, including family, friends and fellow NICU nurses, at their side.
“They say not to take work home with you, which I definitely did,” Nora said. “Worked out well for me. Probably still good advice for most people.”
Pam has had some delays but is progressing well, a happy, healthy and social toddler.
While the timing of becoming parents may not have been the plan, Nora and Martin feel Pamela was always meant to be their child.
“We definitely are the luckiest,” Nora said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better kid.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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