I was 16. My boyfriend was 22 and I found out I was pregnant.

It was the happiest but scariest day ever. I came out of the bathroom, handed my Mom the test, and told her I was pregnant. She went to her room and wouldn’t speak to me. I was terrified, lost, confused and I was waiting for her to hold me and give me advice. Instead, she called me names, told me I would never amount to anything, and I was the one who was going to have to tell Daddy. Now I was crying and shaking and wanted to run away and have my baby.

Days went by and he was telling me how we were going to be a family and he had a good job to take care of us. My Mom wanted to throw him in jail and force me to abort. I didn’t think I had a choice. I didn’t know my rights. And so he paid the $250, Mom drove me and held my hand until I went under. I was terrified and I remember screaming in pain and the nurse saying “Shhhh, you’re going to scare the others.” After, she led me to a bed, slapped a pad on me, and walked out. I was crying hysterically and the other women were looking at me like I was the crazy one. They had no emotion whatsoever. They just killed their babies and they were okay with it. I broke up with him, mind you. Its been 9 years, and there is not a day that goes by that I am not stricken with guilt. I became pregnant March and yet again, my Mom wanted me to abort. I stood up to her, I told her I love my baby and that this decision is out of her hands. My son is now almost 9 months old. This is what I’ve been missing. I created another human being. That is the most marvelous, terrific, beautiful thing in the world. He is what I live for. After my abortion at 16, I contemplated suicide, now I understand what God had in store for me.

He gave me my life back in the shape of that 9lb 4oz 22in long baby boy.