Nora Lussier first met her adopted daughter two years ago. The nurse, who works in the special care nursery at Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts, met Pamela when she was a patient.
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Pamela Was Dealing With Some Medical Issues
As PEOPLE reports, Pamela was exposed to drugs before her birth, and her biological parents were unable to be a part of her life.
The infant was also dealing with other medical issues, including a feeding tube. Lussier learned that because of this, the foster family that was supposed to care for Pamela couldn't take care of her.
Despite all this, Lussier knew she had a connection with the infant.
"I was kind of sitting there with her and thinking, 'Well, she is really cute,' " she said. "Then, all my coworkers, all my friends said, 'You should just take her. Just do it. Your husband won't notice.'"
Lussier and her husband, Martin, had been looking into becoming foster parents for some time. After Martin met Pamela, he knew it was time to make it happen.
"Seeing her come home and smile and be happy and laugh, I knew it was the right call," he said.
Nora and Martin Then Adopted Pamela
Because Lussier had been caring for Pamela in the hospital, the state was able to prioritize the child's foster placement with her and Martin.
"I was like, 'Oh wait, am I her parent? Oh my God, I'm her parent. What have we done?'" remembered Lussier. "I really do feel like I just blacked out and suddenly I had a kid."
Pamela officially became part of the family on Friday, July 17. The day is significant because it is Pamela's 2nd birthday. Many of the family's loved ones witnessed the moment, along with some of Lussier's co-workers in the NICU.
"This has been an incredible undertaking, but I can't think of a better person to do it with and a better person to do it for," said Martin.
Despite some developmental delays, Pamela is thriving with Lussier and her husband. The couple feels like she was always part of their family.
"They say not to take work home with you, which I definitely did. Worked out well for me, too," said Lussier. "We couldn't have asked for a better kid."
