Page 3 of 4 - She’s a happy baby who enjoys baths and laughing with her mom. Christina joked she hopes Abigail will be more girly than Debra.
“I’m not a religious person at all, but I know when something is smacking me in the face,” Christina said. “I just knew I would never be able to give her up. I would always be wondering if they were taking care of her properly.”
An ‘amazing baby’
Now Christina and Abigail are living with her friend in a two bedroom apartment in Fort Walton Beach.
Local nonprofits such as Okaloosa County Helping Hands have provided everything from clothes to diapers. Her daughter, Debra, set up a GoFundMe account for friends and family to help out.
After all, Christina didn’t plan to keep her baby. She never had a shower.
Abigail’s father has only seen her twice since she came home from the hospital.
When it comes to Abigail’s doctor’s appointments, she’s been relying on friends to drive since her 1993 truck isn’t a safe ride for the infant.
A nurse comes by three times a week to check on Abigail. Christina’s roommate also helps watch Abigail when she goes to work at Arby’s.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” she said. “I don’t need a glamorous lifestyle. I just need enough to take care of her.”
Christina said she doesn’t plan on telling Abigail about the almost adoption.
“No,” she said quickly. “That kind of rejection from someone so shallow ... she doesn’t need to know about it.”
In a way, she’s thankful for the family because “now I got her,” Christina said.
“They missed out on the most amazing baby in the world.”
A local photographer, Oksana Peery, donated her time to take newborn shots of Abigail. There’s photos of her sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face, some of her looking wide-eyed at the camera in her mother’s arms — it’s hard to pick a favorite. With Abigail in her arms, Christina flips through the photos on her phone like every proud mother.