At only age 24, Danielle Turner has quite the story to tell.
Upon realizing she was pregnant for the second time following the tragic miscarriage of her son, Aiden, at six months, she discovered COLFS by accident. Initially seeking services from a different clinic, she ended up at the Escondido location to receive an ultrasound only to discover she was pregnant… with twins. “After that, they just took me in,” states Danielle. It was on that same day, when she connected with Client Support Specialist, Randi McDonnell.
Noting that she was a little shy at their first meeting, Randi came to find out how social this not-so-shy person really was. “She loved her [COLFS-hosted] baby shower, and really kept the event going,” said Randi. When asked about how she felt after her baby shower, Danielle said that “everyone was so loving and caring, and I felt like I could be myself.”
In the two years since Danielle met Randi, Randi has seen her grow stronger, continue to make the best of her inner and material resources, and above all, never expects others to go out of their way to help her. “[She] is so grateful to those who gave her help along the way,” adds Randi.
By being herself, Randi noted, “she’s got a gift.” That she does. Originally from a small town in Arkansas, she knew she wanted more, so after a three-day bus ride to Oceanside, she was reunited with her mother after two years in 2015. Determined to make the best of her new life, she made a deal with her mother that after six months, she would move out and make her life better. Committed to herself and her goals, she completed her general education, and began her Medical Assistant program.
However, during this transition, Danielle was unknowingly pregnant. Then, after a Fourth of July family camping trip, she found herself in the hospital, and that after 24 weeks of carrying Aiden, he died due to complications in the womb. Broken and not getting the answers she needed, she had no choice but to move on. “Even after challenges, she picks herself up and moves ahead,” added Randi.
Nine months after Danielle discovered she was pregnant with Kayla and Layla, her now one year-old twins, she found herself in the same hospital where she lost Aiden. Refusing to be in the same room under the care of the same doctor from her fateful visit years prior, she was blessed with Nurse Sharon who was with her every step of the way to deliver her twins. When asked what she would say to her if she saw her again, Danielle was filled with gratitude, and would simply tell her “thank you for listening to me, understanding me, [and] accepting me.”
Additionally, she was under the care of a wonderful doctor who shared his faith with her that everything was going to be fine. “He told me that if I believed, I could do it,” said Danielle. She said he said to leave everything in God’s hands, and He would provide; and that he did.
Just recently, she came across another challenge, but leaned on her faith to get her through. In a now viral TikTok video, she posted about getting laid off from her job on one day, only to apply and get a job offer the very next day at an urgent care clinic. Since then, she has been supported by not just COLFS, but the TikTok community that has come together to provide assistance for her and her twin girls.
Right now, she’s adjusting to a new job, but hopes to one day resume her nursing program. In the meantime, she finds happiness and joy in coming home to her two daughters. “I came from not having anything, but now, I have a home,” said Danielle.