Nurse Adopts Terminally Ill Baby Girl Abandoned in Hospital and Given Only a Year to Live

A nurse's heart tore to pieces as a doctor pushed her away from her daughter. Was this the moment that re-occurred in her nightmares?

In 2014, Núria Pérez, a nurse working at a hospital in Argentina, had a crucial question for her family that would change their lives forever.

Surprisingly, they were open to her suggestion, and although it led to a significant period of joy, all of them were left heartbroken in the end - a fate they knew was coming, although not at the time they expected.

INNOCENT AND IN PAIN

This journey began on a typical day at the hospital in the neonatology room. This day was when the nurse came across Zoe. The 2-month-old baby had been abandoned by her parents.

She also suffered from hydranencephaly, which means the little girl was born without the brain's cerebral hemispheres. Even more tragically, Zoe's life expectancy was estimated at one year.

SURROUNDED BY FAMILY

Although there were many babies, this little one touched her heart, and the nurse decided she wanted to start the process of adoption. Pérez expressed:

“I thought: ‘if she’s going to live such a short life, it would be good if she had a mom, a brother, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, a house, a bed, clothes, and toys.'"

Luckily, her 9-year-old son, the father, and her wider family were on board. The 28-year-old brought Zoe into a family where she could spend her last moments soaked in love.

TIME FLIES BY

Miraculously, Zoe was not only able to push through her first year but made it to her fifth birthday, proving to be a fighter through and through.

The path was challenging, with the baby needing high care consistently. However, Zoe's mom didn't mind, ensuring that her daughter got all her needs met.

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THE MOMENT OF DREAD

Sadly, one morning in August 2019, the part the family had all been fearing came to fruition. The mother rushed the 5-year-old to the hospital due to breathing issues, where she had a cardiorespiratory arrest. The nurse recollected:

“The doctor ordered me to leave, and I refused, telling him that I wasn’t going to leave her alone. He treated me badly; he grabbed my arm and pushed me against a table.'"

The mother then had to make a decision that no parent should ever have to - did she want to resuscitate her little girl or let her go?

THE FINAL DECISION

Eventually, she made the agonizing choice and asked the doctors not to resuscitate Zoe', knowing that her child would continue to live in intensive pain.

We all have different opinions on resuscitation; however, this mom came to her verdict based on her selfless love for her vulnerable little girl.