Nevaeh’s Pregnancy Story

I was a senior in high school when I found out that I was pregnant. I was in denial with the first test, surely there are false positives, so I took another one. When it, too, was positive, I realized this was really happening. I was shocked. My mind was racing with the thoughts of “I’m a senior in high school” and “I have plans!” I just never thought this could happen to me, but it did.

I told my mom first, and she had all the same feelings I had, including shock and fear. With one look at my face, though, she knew she had to be strong for me. Telling my father would not be easy, and this was not something I could do alone. I am the firstborn, his baby girl. He wants for me what all dads want: to be successful. When we told him he was beyond mad, but he kept his composure.

My first choice was abortion, but I had concerns. After hearing the risks involved from my patient advocate at Real Options, I was worried that I would have problems with depression afterward. I carried the heavy weight of disappointing my dad, plus I realized I was not ready to be a mom. Both of these are what led me to choose adoption. I was able to look at it as not “giving up” something but rather choosing to provide a better life for my child. Plus, with open adoption being a choice, I had hope that when my son turned eighteen, he would find me, and I would have the chance to be the mom he wanted. When we found help at Real Options, I knew this was where I belonged, especially after meeting Christi. She has been an incredible support throughout the pregnancy and even now.

So here I was, graduating from high school, all set to place my baby for adoption. I’d picked the birth parents, and I had it all planned out, or so I thought. Sitting at my graduation, listening to the valedictorian’s speech about seizing the day and treasuring every single moment, it hit me. I was too attached to my son to let him go. I could not see him with any other family but mine. That’s when I made the decision that I would keep my son. The fear of disappointing my dad was still great, so you can imagine the relief that flooded me when my dad said he supported my decision to keep him. I named my son Tyson James. You should see the way Tyson lights up with joy when he sees my parents and how they light up when they see him! I’ve never seen them happier. Deciding to be his mom wasn’t easy, and it’s still not. Being a mom is hard; sometimes, it feels like everything is out of control. But being his mom is what I cherish most, and I put him first. My vision for the future is to keep going, stay strong, and be the best mom I can be for Tyson. My spirit won’t break because my son is worth fighting and living for.