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It was the day of my 18th birthday that I found out I was pregnant. At a time when I should have been young and hopeful and happy and free, I was terrified and lonely and angry and sad. And I felt that I had aged ten years overnight. It took me several weeks to tell my boyfriend. My boyfriend, and now the father of the baby that I was carrying, insisted that I get an abortion. In fact, he begged me to get an abortion. I knew I couldn’t go through with it. When I told him I wouldn’t, he got violent with me and gradually he stopped speaking to me. He withdrew from me and from this tiny child who would know him as “Daddy.” After four months I finally told my parents. Since I was now eighteen and legally an adult and capable of dealing with my own problems in life, they kicked me out of the house. I had no job, no money and nowhere to turn. During that time I felt so isolated from the entire world. I even considered suicide. But I had grown attached to this baby and the thought that inside me was a tiny person who would truly love me and need me as no one else had before. That’s when I heard of New Beginnings – A Home for Mothers. I immediately applied and was accepted, and next thing I knew I had an apartment all my own. I had caring house-parents and a concerned counselor and several new friends who were going through the same thing I was.

Today is my nineteenth birthday. It is hard to believe that just a year ago I was desperate and lonely and didn’t want to go on. Now I have a beautiful five-month-old daughter who loves me and needs me. And now I have Jesus in my life. I never had much religion in my life before. But now I am whole and complete and I know that I am saved. Last week my parents came to see Brianna. While they were here they could see the positive changes in my life. I thank God for bringing me to New Beginnings and for bringing me to faith!

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