Hi, I’m 16 years old. I have a 19 month old baby girl named Ellie.

When I was 12 years old (7th grade), I started going down the wrong path. I was very aggressive, and did drugs. I was sent to juvi once for hurting someone. After that, you would think I would learn to change my life for the better, but no. I was kicked off my lacrosse not once but TWICE for aggression (7th grade and last year). Then came the awful day, the summer before 8th grade, I lost my virginity. Everything went fine, but I didn’t know anything about that stuff because we have abstinence-only education.  I thought I was pregnant because I was a week late, but I wasn’t. I still didn’t try to fix my life. A month later, I found out I was pregnant! No one was supportive or helped me at all. I was left all alone to suffer. My best friends stopped hanging out with me and completely stopped talking to me. Everyone at school, was calling me names and was just really mean to me. I knew I wasn’t ready for a baby. So then I went to the Health clinic to get an abortion. When I got into the room, I couldn’t go through with it. I was way too scared… not about the baby but me! I thought it might hurt.

Slowly through the pregnancy, I become way less selfish. I started thinking of the baby. It never really felt I was pregnant throughout the pregnancy. My mom was slowly becoming more supportive of me also. Almost every night, I would cry in my room, scared for my future, and she would come in and hug me. She told me that everything was going to be okay.

Finally, after 9 months of suffering, Ellie was born. I was never so happy in my life, I was a mommy. A very young one but still a mommy! After she turned 2 months old, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take care of her so I gave her to my cousin to take care of while Marching Band started. In the back of my mind, I thought constantly about her. Not even after a month later, I got her back. This was the hardest decision of my life! I was going to mother her, and help her.

Now she is 19 months old, and she is my lil angel! I never thought a lil girl would get my life back on track. Only once I have made a huge mistake, I was kicked off the lacrosse team again (as mentioned earlier). She has saved my life big time! I don’t know where I would be right now if she wasn’t born! Now I am a sophomore in high school, and I get very good grades. I was a varsity lacrosse player and member of the marching band. I am 2nd chair flute (2nd best flute in the school and I’m only a sophomore! ).  I don’t plan on having another, one is hard enough to take care of while trying to still be a “normal” teenager.

Ellie has taught to take life as it is, and that no matter how hard things can get, it will always turn out for the better! Maybe not today or tomorrow but someday it will help you! And most importantly, Don’t give up! Life may not be perfect but there is a reason your living!!

I AM PROUD TO BE A TEENAGE MOTHER!! <3