{"id":64891,"date":"2015-06-16T05:57:47","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T09:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"\/news\/?p=64891"},"modified":"2015-06-16T06:04:11","modified_gmt":"2015-06-16T10:04:11","slug":"raped-at-13-she-chose-life-for-baby-aiden-now-hes-celebrating-his-second-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/raped-at-13-she-chose-life-for-baby-aiden-now-hes-celebrating-his-second-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"Raped at 13, she chose life for baby Aiden. Now, he&#8217;s turning two."},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>Often we wonder what drives us, what motivates us to move forward in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, or what motivates us to get up every morning, take a deep breath and face the day. For 16-year-old Ashley, the answer is simple:\u00a0his name is Aiden, and he is about to celebrate his second birthday.<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Nearly <a href=\"\/news\/amazing-indiana-girl-chose-life-after-being-raped-at-13-an-update\/\">two years ago,<\/a> Ashley and her mom welcomed me into their home to talk to Ashley.\u00a0\u00a0I wanted to help her in any way I could, as she was only 13 and pregnant by rape.\u00a0I didn\u2019t realize that this day, I would become part of their family, and they would become part of mine. In the time we&#8217;ve spent together, Ashley has become like a daughter to me, and Aiden like a grandson (even though I have no idea what being a grandma feels like). She is a true hero in every sense of the word. Not only did this vulnerable, frightened teenager choose life for her son, she bravely confronted her rapist, and was instrumental in his prosecution and conviction.<\/p>\n<p>For the last two years, Ashley\u2019s supporters have stepped up and helped this young mother, showing her what we as pro-lifers are all about.\u00a0\u00a0Being pro-life isn\u2019t just about saving babies\u2014 it\u2019s walking a long and difficult road with these women and their children\u2014the same road all of you have been walking with Ashley and Aiden since the day we brought you their story.<\/p>\n<p>Ashley turned 16 a few months ago, and is working on getting her license and a part-time job.\u00a0\u00a0Although balancing school and motherhood is difficult, Ashley perseveres because she knows what she is doing is important.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Being a 16-year-old mom and still being in school is one of the biggest challenges of my life,&#8221; she said, &#8220;but it\u2019s also the most rewarding.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Next week, Aiden, a vibrant, smart, and lively toddler, turns two\u2014 and his mother couldn&#8217;t be more proud.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s into everything,&#8221; Ashley said.<\/p>\n<p>Aiden especially loves the outdoors and playing in the park, and the young mother has her heart set on buying him a swing set.<\/p>\n<p>Even though Aiden was conceived through rape, Ashley believes her son is a miracle and an inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI swear if it wasn\u2019t for Aiden, I wouldn\u2019t be here today,&#8221; she said.\u00a0&#8220;He has impacted my life more than anyone could ever imagine, at a time when I was falling apart.\u00a0I was 13 years old, terrified, not knowing what the future would hold for me,&#8221; she confessed. &#8220;Now I\u2019m 16, completely confident in what my future will be as a mommy, a mentor, and a best friend.\u00a0Now here he is, a week away from being 2-years-old;\u00a0so smart, so big, so full of life, and so happy. God blessed me with him and I wouldn\u2019t want my life any other way. I love my son. Aiden saved me.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to donate to Ashley and Aiden for supplies, or to help purchase the swing set for Aiden, you can make\u00a0a secure donation at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.livingexceptions.com\/\">www.LivingExceptions.com<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0For more on Ashley and Aiden\u2019s story, you can follow her updates at:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mkprolife\">www.facebook.com\/mkprolife<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s Note: This story originally appeared <a href=\"http:\/\/monicakelsey.blogspot.com\/2015\/06\/from-tragedy-to-triumph-aiden-is.html?spref=fb\">on\u00a0the Monica\u00a0Kelsey blog<\/a>, and is reprinted here with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Often we wonder what drives us, what motivates us to move forward in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, or what motivates us to get up every morning, take a deep breath and face the day. For 16-year-old Ashley, the answer is simple:\u00a0his name is Aiden, and he is about to celebrate his second birthday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":64892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Raped at 13, she chose life for baby Aiden. 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