We are a safe place where girls in crisis are embraced, equipped, and empowered for a hopeful future.
Meet Priscilla* whose unexpected pregnancy at 17 showed her that hope is seeing many possibilities and finding the strength to move forward.
I was a 17-year-old Form 5 student who had just started dating my boyfriend. My menstruation cycle has always been regular so when I realized I was ‘late’ for my period by 2 weeks, I became worried and told my boyfriend to buy a pregnancy test kit which confirmed I was pregnant.
Up to this point, I had been in denial, pretending that everything would be fine. When the pregnancy was confirmed, I broke down and could not stop sobbing. I was very frightened. I did not know how to face my parents, my family and friends. I kept asking myself what they would think of me. I was terrified and felt helpless and all alone in this world facing this crisis.
My parents have always had certain expectations from me – they expect me to be disciplined and to do well in school. Having attended church since childhood, I am expected to be a good Christian and a good daughter. I could imagine their disappointment as it is common for people to think badly of young girls facing crisis pregnancy. We are often labelled as the rebellious party crowd. I was ashamed and worried to tell others as I did not want people to judge me poorly. At the beginning, only the paternal father and his mother were aware of my pregnancy, but they did not really say much or do anything special to take care of me. I was already experiencing many classic pregnancy signs and symptoms, both emotionally and physically. But the paternal father was not ready to settle down and was unavailable when I needed him the most. I then realised I was unable to handle the situation by myself. I felt I was drowning – I needed help, someone to anchor me.
I came across Mother’s Choice when I first searched online about “abortion” and “crisis pregnancy” but was not ready to make contact until the baby was much bigger and I had started to show. I was 23 weeks pregnant when I finally called the Pregnant Girls’ Services hotline. The person who answered my call spent almost 2 hours talking to me, listening to my questions and concerns. At that moment, I felt relieved. I was able to see some light at the end of this helpless dark tunnel. Soon after, I had my first face to face meeting with my case worker. As I was already half way through my second trimester, a lot of decisions and planning needed to happen. Through counselling, we explored options, discussed choices and prepared decision plans. Whenever I was depressed or needed someone to talk to, I could always connect with my caseworker via phone calls or WhatsApp. She was always there for me.
My caseworker gave me a lot of support and advice for how to inform my parents. I thought they would be hysterical, angry and probably disown me when I told them about my pregnancy. When I took them to visit Mother’s Choice, I noticed there was a sense of unease and they probably had already guessed what was going on. As we sat down in the counselling room, before a word was spoken, my father put his arms around me and told me not to worry; they were there to protect and support me. I will always remember that moment. I realised then how much my parents love and support me and that was a turning point for me.
* To protect the privacy of our service user, we have kept the name anonymous.
Note:
When a girl reaches out to Mother’s Choice for help, our first priority is to welcome her into a safe place where she knows she is loved and valued, and equip her to face the future of her choice. This looks different for each of the 137 girls who we walked with during the year, because we adapt our approach to the needs of each girl. Priscilla’s story reminds us that help is just a phone call away.
FY2018-19
701 callers received support through our crisis hotline
145 girls received holistic care through our pre- and post-natal programs
79% of pregnant girls served were under 21 years old