Children Having Children
Nearly 750,000 girls in America become pregnant each year. And when the mother-to-be is still a child herself, the day-to-day realities of juggling a baby, school, parents, and the father of the child can be overwhelming. For a year, we covered the lives of several girls as they prepared for birth, and entered the emotionally charged territory of teenage motherhood.
Hannah, cheerleader and homecoming queen, seemed to have it all – even the perfect boyfriend. Taylor was football quarterback and homecoming king. But when Hannah gets pregnant, everything changes. Taylor is no longer a constant in Hannah’s life - while she sits at a friend’s house on prom night, he is dancing with another girl. And while the rest of her class is at their high school graduation ceremony, Hannah is in the hospital, giving birth to twin girls. Both babies, born prematurely, will die before the summer is over.
Aliki was a high school sophomore when she became pregnant. Boyfriend Jeremy, whose own father left before Jeremy was born, vows he will be different. Jeremy works 40 hours a week as a short order cook, while struggling to keep up in school, and moving in with Aliki and her parents. He even proposes marriage. But, as the year progresses, the stress of caring for son Carter, keeping up with classes, and conflicts over Jeremy’s desire to spend time with friends, takes its toll. At the end of the school year Aliki is graduating high school, while Jeremy has flunked out. And the couple is no longer together.
Mahogany got pregnant the very first time she had sex. Now, the 14 year-old high school freshman is doing her best to continue with school while taking care of son Khaesyn, who often keeps her up at night. Mahogany attends TAPP, a public high school for pregnant teens and young mothers. The school has a 96% graduation rate. Mahogany, whose own mother became pregnant as a teen, hopes to break the cycle of her family – she wants to be the first to go to college.
Paige’s mom, Sonja, thought she had the bases covered when she talked to her daughter about sex. Still, by age 14, Paige has given birth to a baby daughter, Siylar. And Sonja will be there to help Paige raise her child. In the meantime, Paige is committing herself to abstinence.
Britney Wiley has made the difficult decision to give her twins up for adoption at birth. Although she has decided that this is the best decision, she is overwhelmed with emotion when it comes time to say goodbye to her newborn babies.
Nearly 750,000 girls in America become pregnant each year. And when the mother-to-be is still a child herself, the day-to-day realities of juggling a baby, school, parents, and the father of the child can be overwhelming. For a year, we covered the lives of several girls as they prepared for birth, and entered the emotionally charged territory of teenage motherhood.
Hannah, cheerleader and homecoming queen, seemed to have it all – even the perfect boyfriend. Taylor was football quarterback and homecoming king. But when Hannah gets pregnant, everything changes. Taylor is no longer a constant in Hannah’s life - while she sits at a friend’s house on prom night, he is dancing with another girl. And while the rest of her class is at their high school graduation ceremony, Hannah is in the hospital, giving birth to twin girls. Both babies, born prematurely, will die before the summer is over.
Aliki was a high school sophomore when she became pregnant. Boyfriend Jeremy, whose own father left before Jeremy was born, vows he will be different. Jeremy works 40 hours a week as a short order cook, while struggling to keep up in school, and moving in with Aliki and her parents. He even proposes marriage. But, as the year progresses, the stress of caring for son Carter, keeping up with classes, and conflicts over Jeremy’s desire to spend time with friends, takes its toll. At the end of the school year Aliki is graduating high school, while Jeremy has flunked out. And the couple is no longer together.
Mahogany got pregnant the very first time she had sex. Now, the 14 year-old high school freshman is doing her best to continue with school while taking care of son Khaesyn, who often keeps her up at night. Mahogany attends TAPP, a public high school for pregnant teens and young mothers. The school has a 96% graduation rate. Mahogany, whose own mother became pregnant as a teen, hopes to break the cycle of her family – she wants to be the first to go to college.
Paige’s mom, Sonja, thought she had the bases covered when she talked to her daughter about sex. Still, by age 14, Paige has given birth to a baby daughter, Siylar. And Sonja will be there to help Paige raise her child. In the meantime, Paige is committing herself to abstinence.
Britney Wiley has made the difficult decision to give her twins up for adoption at birth. Although she has decided that this is the best decision, she is overwhelmed with emotion when it comes time to say goodbye to her newborn babies.
