Florida nurse adopts abused toddler twins after treating them in the hospital

A harrowing story of abuse has resulted in a happy ending for a Jacksonville, Fla., nurse and twin girls.

As CBS 47 reports, local nurse Jess Hamm was moved to adopt the twins, now age 2, after treating them for injuries suffered in a nonaccidental trauma. Both girls, Delilah and Caroline, were just 1 year old when they were admitted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital, where Hamm works as a nurse.

Hamm first met Delilah in the pediatric intensive care unit, where she was brought in for a fractured skull, broken bones, and extreme malnourishment. It is unclear what happened to the girls’ biological parents.

“My heart was broken,” Hamm told CBS 47 about the girl’s condition. “She was just so lifeless, but she still held on to my finger.”

The health care professional knew right there she was “going to take her home” and initiated the adoption process through the Florida Department of Children and Families. It was then that she learned Delilah’s twin, Caroline, was also in the hospital.

Hamm adopted both girls, who have shown significant improvement and development.

“They’ve been through so much,” Hamm shared. “They’re completely different kids. If you had met them when I met them you’d be amazed.

“I hope when people hear my story it opens them up to the possibilities of adopting,” added the new mother of two.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• This story about a 10-year-old painting her sister’s sneakers might actually break your heart

• Khloé Kardashian defends herself from criticism that she cradles her baby bump too much

• ‘This Is Us’ shows why brother-sister relationships are so powerful

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