When Corrie Rowland was just 15 years old, she received shocking news that would forever change her life: She was eight weeks pregnant. Stunned, the young teen returned home from the clinic, terrified of what the future held for her.
But nine months later, after many tumultuous experiences at school and home, a precious daughter named Bethany was born. At first, the struggles of motherhood felt overwhelming to Corrie — but eventually, she realized that little Bethany was the joy of her life.
"I stopped hankering after a wild social life and learned to love reading and going for walks in the countryside with my daughter instead," Corrie told Daily Mail.
As little Bethany grew, Corrie worked hard to teach and give her daughter the best — including instructions for how to avoid repeating history. But as most of us knows, a parent can only do so much…
Corrie wrote the following for Daily Mail. We were so moved by the story, we wanted to share. For Corrie and Bethany's full story, visit Daily Mail.
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"Last week I became a grandmother — and I couldn’t be happier."
"My feelings of pride will be much the same as those of any other woman whose child has just given birth for the first time, my decision to hold my daughter Bethany’s hand as she welcomed her baby boy Elijah into the world nothing out of the ordinary."
"While my situation may sound familiar, the circumstances surrounding it are anything but, because I am only 33… I am getting my head around my altogether grander sounding title of ‘grandmother’ — not least because at 17 my daughter Bethany is still a child herself."
"By now you will have done the maths and realised that I, too, was a teenage mum."
"I defied my respectable upbringing to fall pregnant at 15, while I was still an ambitious schoolgirl who harboured visions of a career and a conventional family later down the line."
"But abortion was never an option to me..."
"At 18, I applied for a job as a youth worker with the local council. Asked at the interview what my greatest achievement was, I said ‘having my little girl’ and burst into tears."
"I suddenly realised bringing her up was something to be proud of and that the sacrifices I’d made were worth it."
"I marveled at every milestone in her life, from her first steps to her nervous excitement at her first day of school."
"As she grew up, Bethany became a confident, engaging girl."
"I was determined she wouldn’t be held back by the same mistakes I’d made, so when she was 14 and found her first boyfriend, I sat her down to talk about sex."
"I had done everything possible to ensure she didn’t make my mistake — or so I thought."
"Last November... she blurted out that she was pregnant. I laughed and cried, hysterical with disbelief that history was repeating itself..."
"Of course, I was in no position to judge. I told her it was entirely her decision and that I would support her no matter what."
"Yes, Bethany will have to put her own ambitions to one side and may feel as emotionally fragile at becoming a mother as I did..."
"But I feel no shame at either of us giving birth in our adolescence."
"A baby, no matter at what age their mother, signifies hope and new beginnings. Having mine as a teenager was the making of me — as I am sure it will be for my daughter."
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For Corrie and Bethany's full story, visit Daily Mail.
