My story starts when I was 11. I was being raped by someone I knew. The day after I turned 12 I found out I was about 6 1/2 months pregnant. I was so scared I didn’t know what to do. They had to tell my father he was so sad.

We hid it from my mother as long as we could but when she found out she took me away from my father. Shortly after my father almost died, he slipped into a coma and the doctors said he wouldn’t make it. I had so much to think about, possibly losing my father and also adoption or keeping my child… I was so confused I looked into adoption and even found a family but they knew I wasn’t sure on my decision.

I decided to keep my child and on 12/25/16 my son Joaquin was born. On 12/23/16 my father woke up from a coma able to talk and had his memory. We stayed in the hospital for 5 days before we were able to go home. Within 8 months I was in foster care because my mom didn’t want me and soon after my son went in to. I went through the system for a few years they tried sending me home to my mothers it just didn’t work out. Eventually a judge sent me to my father I was so happy! My father fought with everything he had to get me. My son lived with my mom and I saw him everyday he even stayed some nights with us.

In may of 2017 my father passed away I forced to go back to my moms house. I was in and out of her house because she didn’t want me there and on July 25 of 2017 I went back into foster care and am now living in a transitional living program, my son still lives with my mom. I’m currently working on the process to do a 3rd party guardianship till I’m able to get my own place and do it all on my own. I talk to my son everyday and see him every weekend Friday to Monday when I go home to visit. I am currently in college about to finish my first quarter. There is so much more to my story but its just so much to write.