After delivering a baby alone in her bathroom, a 17 year-old high school sophomore in California walked 4 blocks from her house to a nearby hospital with her child wrapped in a blanket and her umbilical cord still attached. The girl, scared that her mom would kick her out of the house, kept her pregnancy a secret, presumably using her naturally full figure to disguise her condition.

On the morning that the contractions began, she did not call 911 because her home phone was disconnected She also did not seek help from neighbors because it was very early in the morning and she did not want to wake them.

Mom and baby are doing well, though doctors say she is lucky since the blood loss incurred during the delivery and her walk/jog to the hospital could have been fatal. The teen's mother was called to the hospital and has since accepted the situation and has agreed to help her daughter raise the 8 lbs. newborn.

How terribly frightening it must have been for this girl to have had no adults to confide in during her entire pregnancy and to ultimately labor and deliver alone in her bathroom. In the age of "Juno", this story may be yet another cautionary tale and "teachable moment" for parents and their teenagers. It speaks not only to the immaturity of teen moms, but also to their need for love and support once they find themselves in this situation. I clearly remember how my own mom told me when I was a teenager that while she would be very disappointed if it happened, she would always be there for me and the baby if I ever became pregnant. These were sage and compassionate words that stayed with me and that I will surely pass on to my own daughters.

As I approach my own due date in a week and a half, my heart goes out to this young mom. Somehow she kept her wits about her; many teenagers in similar situations abandon their helpless babies in garbage cans or dumpsters to die because they are scared, unprepared, and often in denial. While by no means an ideal pregnancy or delivery, I give her credit for trying her best to get her baby the help he needed. Regardless of how he entered the world, he is a gift from God.

I pray that Grandma will now truly step to the plate. Clearly, both mom and baby alike are children in need of love, support and guidance in what is sure to be a difficult, but joyful time for everyone involved.