Preemie, Born Addicted to Heroin with 30% Chance to Live, Finds His Forever Home
Sonny Joy Nelson
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Two lives were changed forever when a premature baby with a heroin-addicted birth mother with a 30% chance to live was united with his forever family.
Kelly Lively from Indiana knew the first time she met 13-month-old Marcus that she was going to be his mother. Born at just one pound and three months premature, Marcus was abandoned in the hospital by his birth mother. In an interview with Kokomo Tribune Lively reported that she kissed Marcus on the head and said, “My name is Kelly. I want to be your mom. Would you like to come home with me?”
Lively’s yearning to fill the void in her heart came after losing her mother to cancer on February 6, 2014 – exactly eight years to the day that she lost her father, Liftable reports. Not being able to have children of her own, Lively stated “I started praying to God to restore my joy. I started praying for God to break my heart for what broke His heart.”
Enter baby Marcus.
Lively volunteered as a nurse for the Make A Wish Foundation in Florida where she took care of medically ill children, later taking a mission trip to Honduras to do the same thing. Through her volunteer work, the idea of fostering a child began to stir in her mind.
Working for a child with a terminal illness that was overseen by the Department of Child Services, Lively overheard a conversation between a case worker and a foster care worker. The two were talking about baby Marcus who was predicted to die soon. After hearing Marcus’ sad story, Lively asked to see a picture of him and learned that no one was interested in fostering him. “I just started bawling,” Lively said. “They said, ‘What’s wrong? He’s so cute.’ But all I could see was that there was no life in his eyes. He was so sick.” It was at this moment that Lively knew she had to get Marcus.
“They told me that no one wanted him,” Lively said. “That just broke my heart. These kids deserve a loving home as much as the next. They can’t help they were born with disabilities or born early. I couldn’t allow Marcus to just end up in an institution.”
Lively decided that day to foster Marcus. The day she met Marcus she said, “He smiled so big when I kissed his cheek, and I knew I was going to do everything I could to give this baby a chance,” Lively said. “In my heart, I felt he had just been waiting for me. It gave me chills. I knew he was my son.”
Doctors told Lively that Marcus had a 30% chance to live and that he wouldn’t see his second birthday. Marcus is now a healthy three-year-old who has “beat the odds” and is being deemed a miracle baby. Marcus loves to read and while he can’t verbally speak, he knows over 100 words in sign language.
“The same day that broke my heart when I lost my mom was the same day I met my joy,” Lively said. “I know that God brought us together.”
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