Melissa McCabe from Merseyside, UK, was only 15 when she gave birth to her son, Arthur. Sadly, she knew from the very beginning that she would have to raise him as a single parent because her then-boyfriend was inconsistent with the baby’s care.
The teenager also faced problems with family members, most of whom believed that her life would be ruined if she kept the baby.
Even Melissa herself thought it was all over when she got a positive pregnancy test. She initially thought that if she kept the baby, she wouldn’t be able to continue her studies or go to college.
But when she thought about it more carefully, she realized that it could just mean a pause in her studies, not the end of them.
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Still to this day, the relationship with her mother is not the best, while her father is still present in her and his grandson’s life.
“It definitely influences the way I bring Arthur up. I don’t want him to be exposed to manipulation and inconsistencies in relationships,” she explained.
Luckily, Melissa has her brother and sister-in-law who support her and her baby. The couple is always there for them, making sure the single mom does her best not only as a mom, but also as a student.
“It has been difficult but I’ve managed to get through my exams. My brother and sister-in-law had him the night before my exams so I could revise. I wouldn’t have done as well if I didn’t have their support,” she told Liverpool Echo.
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Today, Melissa is happy to be going to college in September to study Health and Social Care, but before leaving school, she had one last thing to do. To enjoy her prom.
Since she could not find a babysitter for Arthur that night, and given that he is the most important person in her life, she decided to go to prom with him as her date.
And it was the best thing she could do!
“It was honestly so cute having him with me and getting pictures taken together because we don’t really have any nice up-to-date pictures of us. He loved it and he particularly loved all the snacks!” she said.
Everyone loved the girl’s idea to bring her toddler to prom. Teachers kept going over, checking on them and cooing over Arthur, while students also praised her for being so courageous and strong.
The young mother also uploaded a video on TikTok about bringing her little son to prom, and it has already gone viral.
The video has already amassed 1.6 million views and it has been liked by thousands.
Hopefully, this is a good start for a future that will be supportive of teen moms, and single moms in general.