By Ebony
Ebony: New Single Mom in College Against Odds

My name is Ebony and I am 19 years old. I recently had my first child.

Right now, I live with my mom. Over the years, we have had more than a few run-ins with each other. I admit that I have been a bit challenging for her. I ran away from home several times, thinking that life would be better away from my mom.  After that, she placed me in a group home – not once, but twice. Still hoping for a better situation, I went to live with my father. Unfortunately, my relationship with him is not what I thought it would be. Later, a long-time friend of my mother’s allowed me to live with her for a while, but that was pretty difficult. I finally came to my senses. My mom told me that her door would always be open to me … and it was. Now I’m back at home living with her.

My mom had always told me that it is hard being a single parent. Looking back, I see how my mom tried her best to take care of all four of us on her own.

Right after I graduated from high school, I found out I was pregnant. I thought my mother would be upset. But she accepted me – pregnant and with all my faults.

She got me connected to the Healthy Babies Project. They’ve helped with everything from prenatal care to learning to nurse to helping me set personal goals. The staff at HBP has helped me see that I can be a good single mom, even if it’s hard.

My daughter was born this past winter and I am attending Prince George’s Community College. But more hard times have hit. My mom lost her job and unemployment has run out. The appeal hearing is soon. The strain on my mother is enormous. She is trying to do her best for all of us and I want to take away some of the load. I see how hard it is to be a single mom of one, let alone the single mom of four. I am blessed to have her support and I’m grateful for all of the support and strength that I receive from HBP and its partners.

Wish List

$10                  A bag of diapers
$25                  Outfit for baby
$50                  Shoes for mother and baby
$100                Professional clothes for classes, interviews, and work
$500                College books for a semester

How you can make a difference

Support Ebony. Click here.
Read about other HBP clients and their new beginnings. Click here.