Support for a Teen Mom

“I’m pregnant.” What would you do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a comfortable conversation to imagine.

Lia had gone to visit her mom for her 15th birthday. Shortly after returning from her trip, she realized she could be pregnant. Filled with fear, Lia came to CHOICES, where her nurse confirmed what she had seen on a stack of home pregnancy tests. At that moment, the floor felt like it was dropping out from under her, but she tried to remain calm. Of course, she knew how it happened, but she couldn’t believe it could happen to her. Lia left that day feeling torn, both by the responsibility that seemed too much to carry and the shame of criticism that seemed too much to bear. Even after seeing her baby on the ultrasound, Lia felt like abortion was her best choice. After that day, Lia didn’t answer our follow-up calls, and we lost touch.

Once she got home, the real moment of truth was when Lia told her father, Daniel, who also felt like the floor was falling beneath him. Daniel knew that how he reacted would set the tone of his relationship with Lia moving forward. The shock was especially jolting for Daniel as a single Christian parent. He was actively engaged in his daughter’s life and felt he’d “done all the right things.” He knew he wasn’t a perfect parent, but still he found himself reeling, unsure of how they ended up in this situation.

Lia then scheduled an appointment at an abortion clinic. At her appointment, no one discussed any options besides abortion or shared with her the risks associated with the procedures. For just $300, they offered her the promise of a quick and easy escape from her consequences in the form of a small paper bag filled with pills. Lia could leave that day and no one would ever need to know about her choice. After hearing the sidewalk evangelists, Daniel was reminded of what he already knew about life. He took Lia home and they agreed the abortion pills were not the answer.

Several months later, Lia called to make another appointment at CHOICES. She returned for another ultrasound and shared that she had decided to choose life! After her baby was born, her dad drove Lia to CHOICES with her sweet baby. They shared how happy and thankful they were for the love and support they received at CHOICES.

Daniel and Lia would love to tell you that everything was perfect and they all lived “happily ever after” from this moment forward but that would be dishonest. It’s hard. Lia is a mom, but she’s only 15. She lost her unhealthy friends when she chose life and her healthy friends when she became a teen mom. School will always feel different. Church isn’t easy either.

So, what would you do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? The world is watching to see how we treat one another in the body of Christ. May we be found reaching out in love and compassion to unborn children, their moms, and even their grandparents. And may we demonstrate to teens that abortion is never the answer.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.”
Jeremiah 1:5