A baby boy with a rare heart condition admitted to the pediatric ICU at OSF Children’s Hospital in Illinois found a new home when his nurse decided to adopt him. He captured the nurse’s heart and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to become the infant’s mother when the opportunity presented itself.
Blaze, now an energetic two-year-old, was brought to the hospital because of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital heart condition that needed urgent medical attention because a part of the infant’s heart was underdeveloped or not there at all. At only three days old, this little boy had to undergo surgery followed by another operation just a few months after the first.
During his stay in the pediatric ICU, little Blaze was cared for by nurse Angela Farnan. To Angela, Blaze was a patient that she immediately felt a special bond with. While Blaze was recovering from his surgeries, Angela was by his side to feed and carry him. She cared for him as if he were her own child.
“I would have to say it was love at first sight. He truly captured my heart,” she said.
Angela could not explain why she was drawn to little Blaze, but she was. Even her colleagues noticed her genuine care and fondness for the little boy.
“I did find myself drawn to, you know, coming down here as much as I could,” she added.
Sadly, Blaze’s biological parents did not live near the Peoria hospital and were unsure if they could support the medication and attention that Blaze needed at home after his second surgery. And so, Angela agreed to be Blaze’s guardian while the baby boy was in the hospital to fully recover.
After a few months, Blaze recovered and was ready to leave the hospital to be with his parents. Angela admittedly felt sad that day, because she already formed a special bond with the baby and found it really difficult to let him go.
“It was quite an emotional day because my husband and I fell in love with him and it was getting closer and closer to when we had to give him back,” she said in an interview with Good Morning America.
But, one day in March 2018, Angela and her husband, Rick, got a very pleasant surprise when Blaze’s parents came to them and asked if they wanted to adopt Blaze.
In order to assure that their boy would be loved and cared for the way he needed and deserved, Blaze’s parents gave him up for adoption. Angela and Rick were more than happy to accept little Blaze into their family especially since they had never had children of their own.
“We didn’t even look at each other. Rick and I didn’t need to have a discussion. We said, ‘absolutely,’ ” Angela said in the hospital statement. “I think our response came out of our mouths at the same time. We were ecstatic.”
Angela pointed out that Blaze’s parents decided to have him adopted because they knew that if their child were to live with Angela and her husband he would have the resources that would help him have a more comfortable life despite his condition. Blaze’s parents loved him and for this reason, they made the tough decision of having him adopted.
By June 2018, Blaze was officially adopted by the Farnan couple and they have never been happier. Their life with their little boy was a dream come true.
“I go to bed every night and thank God for the opportunity to be a parent. I pray over him every night. He is truly a blessing. As a little girl, you think about your wedding, having children, raising them and instilling in them good morals. It still takes my breath away. There are times I wake up and I’m overwhelmed that he’s mine.”
Blaze is now with Angela and Rick and although his journey towards a fully healthy body is not over yet, Angela is intent on making sure that he gets the treatment necessary to live a normal life. He still needs to have another surgery and probably a heart transplant in the future.
Whatever it takes, Angela will make sure that her baby boy has the life and love that he deserves.
Watch the video below and get to know more about the inspiring story of Blaze and his mom, Angela.
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