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A teenage mum who took her son to prom has revealed that she aced her GCSEs despite balancing schoolwork and motherhood.
Melissa McCabe, now 16, gave birth to her son Arthur in November 2020 after discovering she was expecting at the age of just 14.
She was subject to a lot of criticism because of her age, but she proved her naysayers wrong by excelling academically.
Melissa, who is from Tranmere, Wirral, said: "When I first realised I was pregnant, I was worried my only choice would be to drop out of school to care for Arthur.
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"But after exploring my options, I decided to continue with education and I'm so happy I did."
Childcare wasn't the only hurdle she had to jump, and the teen also had to contend with the pandemic as she studied for her GCSEs.
While she says she is 'really proud of myself and my results', she does wonder if she could have done better, but asserted: "I've honestly worked so hard to get to this point."
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"I once had a teacher tell me I was never going to make it," she said, "and that was before I had Arthur, so to prove them wrong has felt amazing!
"My favourite topics were English and business, and I felt I did really well in both.
"There were points where it was quite difficult trying to study and revise as well as being a mum, but I've had so much help from my brother Kyle, 30 and sister-in-law, Amy since Arthur was born."
Melissa is now hoping that her story will inspire other young parents to still chase their dreams.
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She adds: "As a teen mum, there's a lot of preconceived stereotypes which come along with the title.
"I've had adults make snide comments at me, like it's [they're] taxes paying for my son, and that I'm not fit to be a mum.
"Yet I've stayed in education in order to provide for my son and to make a life for the both of us, and I receive very little benefits.
"Once I start attending college to study health and social care, I plan on getting a part-time job to help me even more."
The 16-year-old said she was helped by supportive teachers, and her decision to document her journey on TikTok has won her 'the most support'.
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She explained: "When school reopened during the pandemic, I got a few nasty comments from other pupils at first, but I've also had a lot of friends stick with me and help me through it all.
"But the most support I've had is from people on TikTok.
"After I took Arthur to prom, my story kind of just blew up on there, and I've had people messaging me to say how gorgeous he looks and how great a mum I am."
The teen mum wants people to start minding their own business when it comes to situations like hers and said: "If they don’t have anything positive to say, they should keep it to themselves."
Featured Image Credit: CatersTopics: Real Life