Liz Smith, director of nursing at Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Massachusetts, always thought she would marry and have children, but instead she became “world’s greatest aunt” to her nieces and nephews.

Two years ago, she noticed an infant girl being wheeled down the hospital corridor. The baby, named Giselle, was a ward of the state, born to a woman who had used heroin, cocaine, and methadone during her pregnancy. Her lungs needed specialized care, and she had a feeding tube, but during her five months at the hospital, she had not had a single visitor.

Smith applied to foster Giselle, and in October 2018, in a courtroom filled with family members, co-workers and friends, her adoption of Giselle became official.

(Washington Post/photo by Carla Kath)