Every year, Babes Pregnancy Crisis Support receives over 600 enquiries to its 24/7 telephone hotline and WhatsApp service. The organisation helps pregnant teens – the girls who get pregnant and the boys who got someone pregnant – navigate an unplanned pregnancy.
One of those calls was from Vanessa.
The young woman, who did not want to reveal her full name, was in her late teens when she found out she was pregnant. Her abusive boyfriend then tried to force her to get an abortion.
Even though she eventually found the courage to leave him, there were other struggles. She had a strained relationship with her mother, and having left school, found it difficult to find a job and support herself financially while pregnant.
She toyed with the idea of terminating the pregnancy, but when she heard her baby’s heartbeat during her first ultrasound, she made a decision – she would raise her daughter.
Thankfully, she wasn’t truly alone. After reaching out to a Family Service Centre, Vanessa was referred to Babes.
The organisation helped her prepare for childbirth, gave her essentials like a stroller, diapers, and a cot, and even helped her secure a job. Even now, her case worker continues to support the single mum as she raises her daughter.
It’s stories like Vanessa’s that keep Sophie Mathur going. As the chairperson of Babes, Mathur hears accounts like this almost daily from her team. It reminds her of why the work matters.
SUPPORT FOR PREGNANT TEENS AND TEENAGE MUMS
Babes started in 2005 under Beyond Social Services, a non-profit that supports children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in Singapore.
As it does now, the crisis support organisation served teens with unplanned pregnancies. They lend a hand to anyone relevant to the cause, whether it’s the girl who got pregnant, the boy who discovers he made someone pregnant, or the concerned but lost parent who finds out their child is pregnant.
