Baby Girl Born Prematurely Is Adopted in Time for Mother’s Day!

A North Carolina couple who are unable to naturally conceive is recounting the story of how they were paired with their beautiful baby girl!

Per a blog post from Atrium Health, Laura and James Cobb had tried to have a baby for seven years when they received the unfortunate news they would not be able to have their own biological child.

Though the couple decided to adopt, they soon realized that the process was lengthier than they expected.

However, the Friday before Mother’s Day 2021, Laura received a call from her adoption agency that there was a baby — described as “the sickest newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at” the hospital — in need of a family.

“My husband and I were like, ‘No, we’ve prayed enough! This is what we’ve been praying for! This is our daughter!’” Laura told Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in North Carolina.

“We are her parents, that is it,” she recalled. “And so, we met her the very next day.”

According to the hospital, the baby, named Evelyn, had been born prematurely and suffered multiple health problems, including pulmonary hypertension, kidney failure, and potential brain injury.

During last year’s Mother’s Day weekend, Laura and James met Evelyn at the hospital just 10 days after she was born.

“At first, I didn’t want to leave Evelyn because I didn’t want her to feel alone, but she wasn’t alone,” Laura said.

“She was so loved by the nurses and doctors, who were amazing. They were her family before we were,” she said about the medical staff. “And I felt taken care of by them just as much.”

Fast-forward to this year, Evelyn, now 1, is celebrating her second Mother’s Day with her happy family.

“Because Mother’s Day weekend is the weekend we met Evelyn, it’s our family weekend,” Laura said. “It’s not about me. It’s about Evelyn, and it’s about honoring her birth mom. I’ve never met someone as strong and courageous and faith-filled as her birth mom — she’s amazing.”

Dr. Jessica Clarke-Pounder, who cared for Evelyn after she was born, added, “It was really special to me to see Evelyn progress from being the sickest baby in the NICU to becoming a baby who went home with a loving family.

“It is really special when families are so impacted that they choose to stay in contact with us, and it’s really nice to see that our hard work has paid off.”