2010: i was 16 years old and my boyfriend and i were in an on again off again relationship for the past year. we had sex without a condom and i missed my period.

that december i took a test and it was positive. neither of us was ready for a kid, i was on the track to graduate and already applied to colleges. we made the decision for an abortion. the nurse made me feel terrible when she asked if i wanted to know if my baby had a heartbeat, i continued with the process and took a pill to abort the baby. it was the worst pain in my life and i regretted it. months later, my boyfriend and i had broken up for good. years later, i’m working full time, self-sufficient and can hardly get by with my paychecks. i know i made the right choice by not having a child in high school. i’m from a broken home myself and i do not wish my child to experience the same home life that i had too.