Participants Stories

My name is Shekena Bailey and I have two children. My daughter Kenaj is five years old and son N’vaj is 3 years old.  When I first arrived at Rockford MELD in December 2015, I

I was sixteen years old when I first found out I was pregnant. My boyfriend and I were so scared. I took two pregnancy tests and they both came out positive. I was so afraid

David Scott, 42, became a biological father when he was a teenager. But it wasn't until a personal crisis later in life and a change of heart that came from God that Scott became a

I was homeless and pregnant at the age of 19 and came to MELD. I lived in the MELD Homeless Shelter then moved into MELD’s Transitional living program where my daughter Ariella and I

I met my boyfriend, Jorge, at a dance and we became involved. Later on I went a couple of months without a period and I was scared…it felt like a nightmare. One day I

I met David when I was 13 and was pregnant at 15 when I came to MELD for the Young Moms Parenting Support Group. Brittany was born when I was 16. At 18 our

Rockford MELD was very instrumental in making me who I am today.  MELD Young Parent Support groups helped me prepare for the birth of my son when I was 17. The other young moms

My name is Cory Sangster, born in Chicago, but raised in Rockford, Illinois. I am 22 years old, and a proud father of two daughters, a 5 year old and a 3 month old. I

Hi, my name is Maria and I am twenty years old and I have a four year old daughter named Maria Isabel. Being a teen mom was scary and hard. I was only fifteen when

When I was 19, I found myself in a very tough situation. I was pregnant and homeless and had been living with my boyfriend, but things did not work out. I was 8 weeks pregnant