Meet Farnan and Blaze in the video below.
Video credit: Good Morning America
A nurse from Illinois has adopted an infant boy who was born with a congenital heart defect and was under her care throughout his intense medical treatment.
Blaze’s heart was not fully developed at the time of his birth on May 30, 2017, at the OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital, Illinois.
Angela Farnan, who has been working at the OSF Hospital for the last 32 years, was looking after the unfortunate baby and it wasn’t long before the nurse fell in love with the little soul.
Blaze’s condition required constant medical care as well as several life-threatening operations. He underwent his first surgery at the age of just 3 days.
When the infant was asked to either stay in the medical foster care or the hospital for the next ten months before his second operation, Farnan stepped up to take the child under her care as his parents could afford neither of the two options.
After Blaze’s second operation, his financially struggling parents realized the severity of their son’s condition as well as the incredible support which Farnan provided to the infant.
It was when they asked the nurse to adopt their child for good.
For Farnan, it was no less than a dream come true as the nurse had been childless despite her marriage spanning more than a decade.
She and Rick, her husband, immediately agreed to take in the child.
‘We didn’t even look at each other. Rick and I didn’t need to have a discussion. We said, “absolutely,”‘ Farnan said. ‘I think our response came out of our mouths at the same time. We were ecstatic.’
When the nurse asked Blaze’s birth mother the reason behind their request, she said, ‘We want what’s best for him’ before revealing how they lacked the financial means to care for Blaze.
‘She said she wanted to be a good mom and I told her she was a great mom and never let anyone tell her differently.’ the nurse said.
‘She made a very tough decision to do what she felt was right for Blaze.
‘It was quite an emotional day because my husband and I fell in love with him and it was getting close and closer to when we had to give him back.’
‘The birth mom, God bless her. She made a heartfelt, heart-breaking decision. Angela and I just put our heads together and said, “can you believe it? He’s going to be ours,”‘ Farnan’s husband added.
Farnan and Rick filed the adoption papers in April 2018 and their adoption was officially recognized on June 8, 2018.
‘I really feel that he has blessed our lives. He’s full of joy. His smile lights up the room,’ Farnan said on Good Morning America.
‘Becoming a parent for the first time, I can’t describe the feeling. It was one of the best days of our lives.’
The couple is living happily with now 2-year-old Blaze, giving him the care he needs. Blaze will soon undertake his third heart surgery and will probably require a heart transplant at some point of time.
According to Farnan, Blaze is a sweet child and he loves to dance to the children’s songs like Baby Shark and Keith Urban’s tracks.
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