A Teenaged Mother’s Tough Transition
By cbrazen
Tags: Amy McGee, baby, Jayden McGee, motherhood, pregnancy, single mother, single parent, teenage pregnancy
Category: Uncategorized
Multimedia story by Cody Brazen. Click here to view
Text by Stacy Branum
In America, “More than 750,000 teens become pregnant each year, 80 percent of them unintentionally (Planned Parenthood).”
“I Used to Believe in Happily Ever After, But Then Came Reality” – Amy McGee
When 19-year-old Seattleite Amy McGee took her first home pregnancy test, the result was negative. So was that of the second home test, which she took only weeks later. Unconvinced that either result was conclusive, Amy decided to go to her local Planned Parenthood for a professional opinion. It was there that her suspicions were confirmed: she was pregnant.
“I don’t even know if there’s a word to describe how I felt,” says McGee. She knew that for her, abortion would not be an option. McGee also knew that the father of her child would not welcome the news. She was simultaneously overwhelmed, confused and frightened.
Not long after hearing he would become a father, McGee’s boyfriend abandoned her. McGee is now a single mother – according to the National Center for Health Statistics, one of nearly 1.7 million single mothers living in America today.
McGee and her daughter, Jayden, now live with McGee’s parents. Despite their support, McGee describes single motherhood as a lonely experience. “The situation is that you’re supposed to be in a home, with a husband, and you have him here with you as your partner.” While McGee delights in her daughter’s easy smile, she no longer smiles so easily. “I used to believe in happily ever after,” says McGee. “But then came reality.”
2 Responses to “A Teenaged Mother’s Tough Transition”
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beautiful
Cody,
I would have to say your SS stood out to me the most. It was so powerful and beautiful. You captured the emotion very well! Well done!