A pediatric nurse who didn’t think she would ever have a child of her own adopted a baby from her hospital. Liz Smith changed two lives when she met Gisele and is now celebrating her new family.

The nursing supervisor at Franciscan Children’s Hospital met the little girl when she was eight months old during a chance encounter. She was getting ready to step on an elevator as she spotted Gisele being pushed in a stroller by another nurse.

Taken by her smile, she asked the nurse who she was and learned the baby had been transferred to their hospital at three months old for specialized lung care. Gisele’s mother was a drug addict who gave birth prematurely. The baby was born weighing just under 2 pounds and was diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

NAS can present a wealth of challenges as babies born with it are withdrawing from exposure to drugs in the womb. A number of conditions can affect these children including those related to their neurological, muscular, or gastrointestinal systems.

For Gisele, it is likely she was exposed to meth, heroin, and opiates. In addition to spending time in NICU, these babies often need continued care to monitor their health and progress.

During the five months she was at Franciscan, no family came to visit, and Gisele was a ward of the state of Massachusetts. She needed a foster home what would be able to provide adequate medical care, including a feeding tube.

Smith, who was saddened that doing IVF treatments to become a mom wouldn’t work for her, had initially shut down the idea of adopting or fostering a child. Meeting Gisele changed her mind. She told the Washington Post:

“Since the moment I met her, there was something behind her striking blue eyes capturing my attention. I felt that I needed to love this child and keep her safe.”

Weeks later, she became Gisele’s foster mom, but it was with the understanding that the baby would eventually go back to her parents. They had supervised visitation with the child for some time, but the state deemed them unfit.

“The day I got the call that their parental rights were terminated was very sad. My gain was another’s loss. It’s a feeling difficult to describe when you are experiencing this life-changing moment that someone else is as well, in the opposite way. The bottom line is: It’s devastating for another family.”

Smith applied to adopt Gisele with a heavy heart, empathizing with the mom’s addiction plight. But she loved the girl very much. In October 2018, the adoption was finalized. Gisele is now a thriving 2-year-old who is reaching milestones.

She still needs a feeding tube, and Smith is more than committed to taking care of her needs – as her new mother. Besides being a talented nurse and loving mom, Smith got plenty of practice by helping out with 13 nieces and nephews.

Get a glimpse of the little cutie by clicking on CNN’s video below. We’re so glad this baby got a new, happy start.

Did this story make you tear up a bit? Do you also feel this was meant to be?