Did you know that around 777,000 births occur among girls below 15 years old? Across the world, the problem of teen pregnancy is rampant and concerning despite the decline of birth rates in the last 20 years, and it's just not the teens who are impacted by this problem as family members also learn to deal with the situation.
Kelly Healey, a mother of five, became the youngest grandmother in the U.K. after her 14-year-old daughter, Skye Salter, gave birth to her first baby, Bailey, in 2018.
In an interview with The Sun, Kelly, who was in her late 20s at that time, said that she never expected to be a young grandma. However, she also didn't use this moment to yell at her daughter and lecture her about contraception and safe sex.
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"What's Done is Done"
Kelly said that she could not undo what happened to Skye anymore since the baby was already there. So, all she can offer now is her love and support instead of anger because "what's done is done." The young grandma also said that she doesn't feel like a granny while her close friends think it's hilarious that she has a grandson.
The teen pregnancy was somewhat expected because Skye was a sexually active 14-year-old. She was, however, not living with her mom when she got pregnant. She was staying with her father and stepmother when she decided to take a test for a contraceptive implant.
Skye, however, secretly felt that she might be in the family way and received a referral to get tested at the West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth. She did not expect to be 36 weeks pregnant with her first baby. The baby's father was a local boy who was also about Skye's age.
"I was potentially days off becoming a mom," Skye said, per Daily Mail. "Just weeks earlier I had been doing PE and climbing up and down hills."
Skye also confessed that she considered having an abortion, but it was no longer an option after learning that she was too far along in the pregnancy. Besides, Skye also changed her mind after hearing the baby's heartbeat. She said she could never go through an abortion procedure as love filled her heart when she heard it and saw her baby on the screen.
Another Young Grandma in Her 30s
Meanwhile, Gemma Skinner is another young grandma in her 30s. In 2021, her 17-year-old daughter, Maizie, gave birth to a girl. Gemma herself was part of the teen pregnancy statistics in the U.K. as she had Maizie at 16 years old.
The young grandma admitted that she was overcome with worry when she found out about Maizie's condition because she knew the struggles of a teen mom, per The Mirror. However, Gemma said she would never regret having a baby at such a young age despite her choice. She is also proud to see that Maizie is such a natural mother.
Maizie's boyfriend lives with her and Gemma, and the doting grandmother is more than happy to step up to take care of her granddaughter. Maizie said she doesn't know where she would be if her mom didn't show her love and support after her teen pregnancy.
