A teen mom who fell pregnant at the age of just 14 has spoken out and revealed she aced her final exams in business, animal care, and travel and tourism.
Melissa McCabe, 16, is a mother of 2-year-old Arthur from Tranmere, England, who welcomed her son in November 2020 after falling pregnant when she was just 14 years old.
While Melissa was still in high school at the time of her pregnancy and after welcoming her child, she managed to push through with her studies at Ridgeway High School and finish with three passes.
“When I first realized I was pregnant, I was worried my only choice would be to drop out of school to care for Arthur. I decided to continue with education and I’m so happy I did,” the mother said as she spoke out in an attempt to break the stigma looming over teen parents.
“I’m really proud of myself and my results. There’s always going to be a little voice nagging in my head that I could’ve done better but I’ve honestly worked so hard to get to this point.
“I once had a teacher tell me I was never going to make it and that was before I had Arthur, so to prove them wrong has felt amazing!”
As the teen admitted, she has faced her share of criticism over the years with people making rude comments and implying she wasn’t fit to be a mother.
“I’ve stayed in education in order to provide for my son and to make a life for the both of us, and I receive very little benefits,” she added.
“Once I start attending college to study health and social care, I plan on getting a part-time job to help me even more. People need to start minding their own business and if they don’t have anything positive to say, they should keep it to themselves. I’m doing my best to be the best mum, and best person I can be.”
Melissa previously hit the headlines when she dressed her adorable son in a tuxedo and took him with her to the prom.
“After I took Arthur to prom, my story kind of just blew up on there and I’ve had people messaging me to say how gorgeous he looks and how great a mum I am,” she admitted.
“It’s been a wild journey but I’m super excited to go to college and see what the future has in store for us.”
Best wishes to Melissa and Arthur on their journey!