Homeowners Support Couple Expecting Baby While Living in Shelter (Exclusive)

Olivia Norman’s world turned upside down when she found out she was pregnant at just 20 years old, with no support from her family or a stable place to call home. 

Her parents disapproved of her being unmarried and pregnant, and her boyfriend’s strained relationship with his own mother left them with no one to rely on. 

“We stuck by each other’s side, he worked two jobs and I would look for a place to live,” Norman tells PEOPLE exclusively. “It was, and still is, us against the world.” 

Despite her boyfriend, Isiah Kurgan, juggling multiple shifts, they quickly found themselves homeless.

They rotated between hotels, slept in Kurgan’s car and stayed with friends when they could before eventually ending up in a shelter in Santa Maria, Calif. The instability was overwhelming, especially with a baby on the way. 

In June 2022, hoping for a fresh start, Norman posted a heartfelt ad on Facebook explaining their situation. She shared that they were expecting a child and in need of a safe place to live. 

“My parents didn’t support the idea of us living together in their house if we weren’t married,” she explains. “I also didn’t want to put the stress of a baby on my parents; my mom was going through cancer treatment at the time. It was best for us to rent.”

By chance, her message reached homeowners Gary and Michelle Gorospe, who were moved by Norman’s honesty and offered the couple a room in their family home. 

“She had expressed to me how scared she was with her current situation due to being robbed while in a shelter and having instability in their lives,” Gary tells PEOPLE. 

“I felt the universe telling me to reach out and help them because…a second chance is what everyone deserves,” the 45-year-old landlord adds.

From the moment Gary met the young couple, he felt an instant connection and knew they were meant to be part of their lives.

As a U.S. Air Force veteran who had faced his own share of struggles without ever receiving real help, he understood what it meant to feel alone. 

His wife had also endured her own traumas, and offering support to the couple became a meaningful part of their shared healing journey. 

While Norman and Kurgan lived in a rented room in the Gorospe’s family home, the close arrangement allowed Gary and Michelle to offer consistent support – especially during Norman’s recovery.

After giving birth to her son near the end of September 2022, Norman began battling postpartum depression. 

“I struggled a lot with my body image and how my body had changed. I hated my body and the way it was different,” she recalls. 

“Before I got pregnant, I had just gotten sober and was working out a lot. I was in the best shape of my life,” she shares. “After I had my son, my body did not look the same at all. I lost sleep and I stopped eating. I truly lost myself in the first few months.” 

On the hardest days, when the new mother was overwhelmed, the couple would often come downstairs, gently take the baby, and encourage Norman to rest, shower or simply take time for herself. 

“During the days, both Gary and Michelle would watch my son if I needed to run to the store for something,” Norman shares. “Eventually, when I went back to work, both Gary and Michelle went out of their way to take on babysitting my 7-month-old baby in the mornings until [Kurgan] came home from work.”

Despite having children of their own — three each from previous relationships — Gary and Michelle quickly formed a deep and loving bond with Norman’s son.

“I would take him on little getaways and eat lunch together, and he would sleep on my chest,” Gary recalls.

Their presence became not just supportive, but essential — creating a nurturing environment that helped Norman and Kurgan feel less alone during one of the most vulnerable times of their lives.

“Gary and Michelle helped remind me that I had a village behind us, and it was okay to ask for help,” Normal admits. 

“I struggled with thinking that I was the only one who could do things, and them always checking in, and [being] willing to help, helped me realize that I wasn’t alone, and it was okay if I needed a minute to myself.” 

Although Norman’s parents lived 25 minutes away from the Gorospes and would occasionally visit, it was Gary and Michelle who became her true source of comfort and stability.

“They took a chance on a young pregnant couple expecting a baby and made us feel like family,” Norman emphasizes. 

After nearly two years of living together, the Gorospes decided to move to North Carolina – but not without first ensuring that Norman, Kurgan and their son had a safe and stable new home in Guadalupe, Calif.

“We are so very proud of them in their journey of raising their child and becoming a nuclear family unit,” Gary says. 

To them, the couple’s story was a powerful reminder that even from rock bottom, it’s possible to rise — and sometimes, all it takes is a little kindness from people who truly care.

“One thing they have taught me is that your community and village is who you make it,” Norman, now 23, highlights. “Friends become family — the people in your corner always want the best for you.”