Baby Nadya’s mother was homeless and using drugs when she went into labor. She had received no prenatal care during her pregnancy and told hospital staff she had been living under a major highway bridge. She and her baby tested positive for illegal drugs as well as syphilis after the birth.
Nadya’s mother could not provide Child Protective Services with contact information for herself or the baby’s father, and she said she had no family who could help. When she left the hospital against medical advice, she had not even named her baby.
Baby Nadya, born weeks early and in need of help withdrawing from drugs, needed a family in the worst way. Hospital staff called Child Protective Services.
Anupa, a Dallas CASA volunteer, was assigned to Nadya’s case shortly after.
“The first time I visited her in her foster placement, I was overwhelmed. This was my first case, and the whole experience was heartbreaking. There were so many things going on for this baby all at once, and things felt very touch-and-go,” Anupa said. “But it was quickly evident how loved and wanted she was by the foster family she was placed with. They knew right away they would be willing to adopt her.”
Nadya received medical support as she withdrew from drugs, and she was treated for her syphilis. All efforts were made to work with Nadya’s mother or locate family members, but to no avail. Meanwhile, she was surrounded by a large and loving family, including a preteen brother and extended family with grandmothers who came over with home-sewn clothing and lots of love. As Anupa visited and supported the family over the coming days, weeks and months, Nadya’s health improved and she blossomed into a smiley, engaged baby who gave no hint of her rough start to life.
For Anupa, a mother of two children ages seven and 10, she remained heartbroken on Nadya’s biological mother’s behalf but knew Nadya was where she needed to be.
“I never met her mother or spoke to her. She doesn’t have a phone or an address,” she said. “She doesn’t want to be in her situation, but she doesn’t see a way out.
“This case really took me out of my bubble. There’s a whole world out there that might be vastly different than your own. I thought a lot about my first child and how different it had been bringing her home. The case was deeply sobering and eye-opening.”
The family Nadya was placed with had always dreamed of having twins. After Nadya was placed with them, they said yes to a baby boy just weeks younger than Nadya.
This fall, Nadya was adopted by her foster family. The next day, they adopted the baby boy.
“She is the cutest little baby doll with curly black hair, hitting all the milestones doctors want her to,” Anupa said. “She and her newly adopted brother are both mobile now, walking all over the place and absolutely adoring their older brother.
“This was my first case, and I learned a lot about the child welfare system but also gained a new perspective on what life is like for so many people.”
