TEEN MUM: ‘I GAVE UP MY BABY GIRL'

MARLYS FACED AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE WHEN SHE FELL PREGNANT ... AT JUST 15

- Courtney Greatrex

When Marlys Monet fell pregnant with a little girl at just 15 years old, she faced a devastating decision – to keep the baby or put her up for adoption.

The terrified mum-to-be knew that it was in her unborn daughter’s best interest to give her to parents that could provide for her. But she had no idea how she was going to be able to physically give her away to strangers.

After speaking with a counsellor, she opted for an ‘open adoption’, which meant she’d be able to stay in contact with her little girl and the family over the years.

Now, Marlys is 33, and she and daughter Merrin, now 17, have stayed in touch and are the best of friends.

“Looking back, I know I made the best decision I could. I don’t have a single regret,” she tells New Idea.

“The heartbreak caused by giving away my little girl made me the woman and mother that I am today.”

Marlys reveals she was a promising high school athlete when she first discovered she was pregnant at 15.