SANTA ROSA, California — A California cop recently welcomed a new baby girl into his family after responding to a pregnant woman's need for help.
When Officer Jesse Whitten met baby Harlow's birth mother, she wasn't looking for typical assistance.
Instead, she was looking for a home for her unborn baby girl.
She explained how she ended up on the streets and became addicted to heroin.
"There's a lot of shame involved with heroin use, and so that shame kind of helps fuel that cycle for them continuing to use and not bouncing back," said Whitten.
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Though already a father of three, he decided to help.
He adopted her baby and welcomed her into his home.
Now, she has a loving mother and father and three older sisters to help guide her along the way.
"She had this beautiful idea of what her daughter's life would be," says Ashley Whitten, Jesse's wife. "We're just so grateful that even in that cycle she chose a family for her daughter and she loved her enough to give her a chance."
The Whittens say they've stayed in touch with Harlow's birth mother, sharing photos and details of her daughter's new life.
Their hope is that she'll use them as motivation to clean up and get off the streets so that, one day, she can be part of her child's future.
NBC/KNTV
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