When A’zarion was born prematurely at 34 weeks, his grandmother, Christina Toro, knew he would need extra care. What she did not know was how much help her family would need outside the hospital walls. The Healthcare Legal Partnership at Children’s Minnesota soon became the lifeline that helped keep him safe and supported at home.
A’zarion was born on Sept. 14, 2025, at The Mother Baby Center, a partnership between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota, in St. Paul. He spent more than a month in the Children’s Minnesota neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in St. Paul after being born prematurely and exposed to opioids. He suffered withdrawal systems, struggled to sleep and eat, and required specialized care. In October 2025, he was discharged from the NICU into Christina’s care through a Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA), which allowed her to make medical decisions for him for one year.
But a DOPA is not the same as custody. Christina quickly learned that while she could bring A’zarion to appointments and make health care decisions temporarily, she was limited in nearly every other way. She could not access many programs that would help pay for basic needs. Housing became uncertain and formula was expensive.
As a 61-year-old grandmother with a disability, Christina was suddenly navigating the demands of caring for a medically fragile infant while trying to protect the stability of their home.
“It was really hard,” Christina said. “I couldn’t access any of the programs just having a DOPA.”
The Healthcare Legal Partnership steps in to help
A’zarion began to see a pediatrician at the Children’s Minnesota West St. Paul primary care clinic. In one appointment, Julia Beckman, MD, asked Christina how she was doing with the transition. Christina told her the truth: she was overwhelmed. A’zarion had reflux, ongoing developmental needs and the lingering effects of his early medical challenges. At the same time, Christina was trying to secure housing and legal rights that reflected the role she was already playing in his life. She needed legal support and didn’t know where to start.
Dr. Beckman referred Christina to the Healthcare Legal Partnership, a Children’s Minnesota program offered in partnership with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) and Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (MMLA) that connects families with legal support when issues like housing, benefits, custody or guardianship affect a child’s health and well-being.
Christina said she had no idea that kind of help existed.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I had no idea.”
A path to stability
On March 26, 2026, Christina completed an intake call and was connected with attorney Peter Thomas. From the beginning, she said, Thomas treated the situation with care and urgency. He asked about A’zarion, Christina and her son — A’zarion’s father — who was struggling with the decision to give Christina legal custody while he and his partner battled addiction.
But everyone knew A’zarion needed consistency, safety and access to the support systems that could help him grow.
“As legal aid partners, HLP works closely with Children’s Minnesota care teams and patient families to understand patient health holistically by identifying and addressing health-harming legal needs impacting families beyond the clinic walls,” said Thomas.
Thomas helped the family move through the legal process faster than Christina expected. While others warned her it could take months, she said he was responsive, prepared and compassionate throughout the case. On July 22, 2026, a judge signed the order granting Christina sole legal and physical custody of A’zarion.
“I had the best attorney,” Christina said, describing Thomas. “He was so nice. He was so caring. He cared about what happened to my kids. He cared how they were doing. He cared how I was doing.”
For Christina, custody meant more than paperwork. It meant she could protect A’zarion’s medical care, access resources on his behalf and preserve the housing that made it possible for them to stay together. Without legal custody, she said, she risked losing her Section 8 housing because A’zarion was her grandson, not her child.
The first thing she did after receiving the judge’s order was use it to protect their home.
Growing, healing and looking ahead
Today, A’zarion continues to grow and make progress. His team at Children’s Minnesota continues to monitor his progress and helped Christina with a referral to additional support through the state’s Help Me Grow program. Support programs have helped him learn to crawl and are now helping him learn to sit up independently.
“I couldn’t ask for a cuter grandson,” she said.
Christina still hopes A’zarion’s parents will one day recover and be able to be part of his life in a healthy way. In the meantime, she wants other families to know that legal help may be available when health, housing, public benefits and custody issues overlap.
Advocating for kids like A’zarion – Sahan Journal
Christina’s experiences have given her an appreciation for the support programs available for kids like A’zarion. She used her voice to share her experience with Sahan Journal so that others know help is out there.
“I am so grateful because [they] saw the need,” she shared with Sahan Journal of the Children’s Minnesota Healthcare Legal Partnership. “I didn’t even know this program existed.”
Read more here.
