For six months, high school student Gaby Rodriguez told the world she was pregnant.
She attended Toppenish High School in Washington as her belly grew. Her friends, teachers, family, and her boyfriend’s family all believed she would be having a baby.
Her peers made comments about her ruining her life. They spread rumors about her. They called her irresponsible. Gaby faced the comments bravely. Little did her peers know, they were part of a social experiment.
After six long months, Gaby shared a secret in front of her entire school.
She had faked the entire thing.
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Gaby’s mother, boyfriend, and school principal were the only people who knew that Gaby was never really pregnant. She fooled everyone else, including her closest friends and siblings.
Those who knew were supportive of Gaby. They helped keep her secret. But why did she do it?
She faked the pregnancy for a school project. She wanted to know what life would be like as a pregnant teen and teen mother. She wanted to prove how tough it can be for young people like herself who face challenges while being pregnant.
Gaby not only had to deal with the drama of typical teenage life, but the added drama of being a future teen mom.
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Gaby stuffed her shirts and hoodies to make her pregnancy look authentic. Her belly slowly grew throughout the school year.
When everyone found out she wasn’t really pregnant, some people cried. They never expected that her pregnancy was staged. It forced them to consider how they had treated her and how her false pregnancy had changed their opinions of her. Many called her brave.
Her confession surprised the entire community. Gaby’s project even made it onto the news! Her story has gone viral.
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Watch the video and hear Gaby talk about her controversial decision to fake a pregnancy.
Have you ever witnessed a social experiment like this one? Would you ever do something like this as a project? Follow us on Facebook and let us know your thoughts!