“I am due December 19, 2023,” junior Amaree Henderson said. In early April of 2023, Henderson found out she was pregnant as a sophomore at 16 years old. She expects a baby boy with a secret name.
She explains that telling her mom was a struggle, but that the truth came forward with time saying that her mom noticed that no pads or tampons were being used.
“I had waited a long time, I was 18 weeks when my mom found out. I didn’t know what she would think and how she would go about it and I was just scared to tell her,” Henderson said. “It just has a lot to do with age and maturity, just seeing how your parents will look at you after… she was so mad at me, but then she started to warm up.”
Getting ready to become a mom can be hard, especially as a teen. Henderson talks about how she is preparing and growing her maturity at a young age.
“Typical teenagers want to go out and do all these things and I am not able to do that, but at the same time my friends support me and they are still there,” Henderson said. “Being an aunt to two little boys has helped me a lot, so I’m kind of just learning from them and just taking any information and advice.”
Henderson explains how she is adapting to online school, her plans to return next semester and having been a varsity starter before her pregnancy she talks about basketball.
“I’m not really like an online school girl, so I don’t really like it that much but I think once I get back in the school, everything’s going to be easier for me. It’s going to be hard at the same time because I am going to have a little baby at home,” Henderson said. “I’m going to manage basketball this year and my senior year I am going to play. I haven’t decided about college yet.”
Henderson’s story is not the only one like this. According to the World Health Organization, from ages 15 to 19 for every 1,000 women, 41.3 get pregnant.
“The only thing I would say is wait,” Henderson said. “It’s not like I was trying, but at the same time use the resources that you got.”
