Maternal Bond Felt By Nurse Moved Her To Adopt Preemie With Hole In Abdomen

Amber Boyd, a pediatric nurse, cared for Nicole, a preemie suffering from a rare condition in the ICU. Without a family willing to take the suffering baby, Boyd adopted the baby, thanks to the special maternal bond she felt while caring for her in the ICU.

Nicole was suffering from omphalocele, a condition that creates a hole in the abdominal wall, thereby causing internal organs to grow outside the body. She was just 3 months old when Boyd met her in the ICU. She was a baby fighting for her life, dependent on numerous machines to keep her alive.

According to Today, Boyd made the request to become the primary nurse of Nicole. From then on, a special bond, which Boyd referred to as "maternal," was made between Boyd and little Nicole.

Nicole was at the ICU for 18 months. Boyd was witness to the little baby's sufferings, how she couldn't breathe without the ventilator, how eating became so difficult, and how she was incapacitated to reach normal baby milestones such as rolling over.

When the time was nearing for Nicole's discharge, no family wanted to take her in. Her biological parent was divested of her parental rights over Nicole, which made the little baby a ward of the state.

Confronted with this reality, Boyd decided to adopt Nicole, as per Parenting report. Her husband, Taylor, welcomed the idea. Boyd even mentioned that the only fear she had in her heart at the time she decided to adopt Nicole was that she might make her medical condition worse, and so she made sure that she learn all that she can about omphalocele.

Today, Nicole is a healthy 3-year-old. She had undergone an operation that closed her belly, yet for sure, she will have all the love that she needs in the world. She has Boyd beside her to see her through.