“It takes a lot of strength to get where you want to be.”
November 1st, 2011
I became pregnant at age 14 and had my baby at 15. I was a freshman in High School and it was very hard for me because I had 3 1/2 years to finish. There were times that I wanted to drop out of school but I knew I wanted a better future for my son and now my small family. There will be people that will put you down. I had many people in school and even the adults such as the Deans would tell me to leave school. But I knew I couldn't do that if I wanted a better future for my family. So I started to have an attitude of proving people wrong. Received a lot of support from now my fiance and was able to finish school and continue my education and work full time as well. I am now 23 years old and my son is going to be 8 years old. I have had my ups and downs but I am happy to say that I finished High School early and became a medical assistant. I know there are girls out there that have not even finished High School but it takes a lot of strength and pushing yourself to get to where you want to be. Anyone can do it!!! A.M.
“It was hard but it’s not impossible”
May 4th, 2011
I was 17 when I found out I was pregnant. I was a senior in high school and didn't know where to turn. I went to CareNet to discuss my options but in my heart I knew I wanted to keep it. I went through with the pregnancy with the help of CareNet and their connections with the community. They made me feel like I wasn't alone. My son is now 6 and I have another child on the way. It was hard but it's not impossible if you have the support you need!
“That was a choice I could not make again”
March 2nd, 2011
Being 19 and pregnant was very hard. The baby's father wanted me to have an abortion however that was a choice I could not make again (at 13 my first pregnancy I had chose to abort). Sixteen years later I am glad I made the choice to keep her. Of course there were many years of struggling alone so I went to school and became a teacher. A happy ending to a difficult start.
“She was able to stay focused on her goal”
August 10th, 2010
When I first met—I'll call her "R"—she was a student in my junior English class. She had high aspirations of becoming a doctor and worked really hard in her academics to be successful. At her school, this in itself made her stand out from her peers; but that wasn't all. R was pregnant with a baby fathered by another student in the class. She came from a very traditional family and so she knew in their eyes keeping the baby was her only option. She carried the baby to term and then the father dropped out. R received homebound tutoring to stay caught up with her classes. She eventually broke up with the father of the baby and I discovered that during her senior year she was pregnant once again. I was worried about her, but her drive to succeed certainly kept her striving toward her goal. She certainly missed out on a lot of the "typical" high school experiences, but she was still able to graduate and got into a college. True, her high school experience was a little different from most of her peers, but because she was able to stay focused on her goal, I'm sure she'll accomplish it one day.
“She knew that she would never get rid of him if she continued with the pregnancy”
July 29th, 2010
A friend of mine found out she was pregnant when she was a senior in college. She was studying to be in the medical field and she would be the first in her family to finish college. She has been dating a guy who was attractive, charming, and great. Until this prince charming began to show his real colors. A few months into the relationship be became emotionally abusive to her. He threatened to kill himself if she ever left him. He began calling her names, and even threatening her. When she found out she was pregnant with his child, she knew that she would never get rid of him if she continued with the pregnancy. With counsel from her family, they decided that abortion was the only way she would have a chance of breaking free. Although it was a difficult decision that she made, it seemed to be the best for her.
