Teen who had 13 foster families says couple 'changed her life' when she fell pregnant
A teen who bounced around 13 foster families growing up says a couple 'changed her life' when she fell pregnant at the age of 15.
Blossom Farey, now 21, found out she was expecting a baby in December 2016 and was ultimately terrified about the future.
She decided to carry on with the pregnancy but was unsure if she would be able to raise her daughter or have to put her up for adoption.
When Arianah Farey, now five, was born in June 2017, Blossom knew she 'had to keep her' with social services stepping in to help the mum and baby find a new foster home.
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Before Arianah's arrival, Blossom - from Romford, Essex - had gone between four foster homes in four years, but the next one, she truly hit the jackpot.
Blossom was surprised when Cher Quirke, 47, a fostering social worker, her husband, Danny, 41, a taxi driver, and their daughter, Aimee, now 18, welcomed her and Arianah into the family.
The family treated Blossom and her little girl like they were one of their own - taking them on day trips to London and helping out with the pressures that come with being a single mum.
Arianah knows Cher and Danny as 'grandad' and 'nana' and they now go on family holidays together.
Blossom said: "I didn’t have any stability and my life was turbulent before I fell pregnant.
"I didn’t expect Cher and Danny to take me in as they did. I hadn’t experienced that before.
"They made sure we all had dinner together and kept an eye on Arianah so I could have a bath.
"It took me a while to let my guard down and trust them completely but soon they became like a mum and a dad to me.
"Arianah calls then grandad and nana.
"Aimee is like a sister to me too, and I’ll tell her everything.
"They completely changed my life and set me down a new path."
The couple encouraged Blossom to follow her dreams and in March 2021, she and Arianah moved into their own home.
She has heaped a lot of praise of her most recent carers for getting her life on track.
Blossom said: "I was going down the wrong path when I found out I was pregnant. I was really scared but I just knew it was something I had to deal with.
"I didn’t know if I would raise my baby myself or get her adopted, but I knew I had to see it through."
Blossom moved in with Cher and Danny in June 2017, just four weeks after Arianah was born.
She continued: "I was quite closed off at first. But Cher and Danny were so welcoming and gradually I eased up.
"They helped me get nappies and milk for Arianah and let me have a bath while they watched her.
"I started to realise that they weren’t going anywhere."
Callum Jones