Detroit woman who got pregnant at 14 starts organization to help other teen moms

A woman who received support from her community when she became pregnant at 14 launched her own organization to give back.

Tyra Moore, of Detroit, Michigan, became pregnant as a teenager but didn’t tell her mother until 36 weeks.

She ended up giving birth a few days later and due to such With short notice, the family had no time to prepare for the baby’s arrival.

But upon returning home from the hospital, she was overwhelmed to see that the community had come together to buy her all the supplies she needed to welcome her newborn.

Her neighbors, friends, and family supported her by donating cribs, baby books, formula, pacifiers, and bottles that lasted her for almost two years.

‘They really came together and created a town for my son, and that helped a lot. I was like, “One day, when I can, I want to return the favor,” said Tyra, now 31. Today.

And, true to his word, that’s exactly what he’s been doing.

Tyra initially did not know when she became pregnant in 2007, at age 14, as she was still having what she believed to be a period.

It wasn’t until she felt the baby kick that she really understood what was happening.

She said it took her a while to work up the courage to tell her mother, but she finally did at 36 weeks and just three days later she gave birth.

Despite not receiving prenatal care, Tyra delivered a healthy baby girl.

Tyra decided to name her daughter Samari, now almost 16, and credits her with “saving her life” and pushing her to strive for more out of life.

Having persevered through the struggles of being a young mother, she wanted to pass on the knowledge she had gained along the way to others.

The businesswoman says the girls who have been visiting her are happy to talk about their struggles as mothers, knowing it’s a ‘no judgment zone’

Tyra created a non-profit organization A Girl Like Me to provide free baby supplies and tutoring to young mothers ages 11-25.

Tyra also encourages attendees to set goals, as well as counseling on topics like financial literacy, CPR (pictured), nutrition, and personal hygiene.

In 2020, Tyra created a non-profit organization a girl like me to provide free baby tutoring and supplies to young mothers ages 11-25, particularly those who are at-risk or low-income.

‘It just came to me because I wanted to help girls like me and prevent girls from being like me. And I wanted to do more,” Tyra told the publication.

It started out as an “extremely small grassroots effort, funded primarily from donations, T-shirt sales, and personal investments,” according to its website.

But it has since become a center for young women, many of whom do not have any support in the community.

The Detroit Department of Health previously reported that each year there are about 1,600 Detroit girls between the ages of 15 and 19 who become pregnant, and Tyra continues to strive to help as many as she can.

Having persevered through the struggles of being a young mother, she wanted to pass on the knowledge she had gained along the way to others.

Tyra remains dedicated to her work in the organization with the hope of expanding in the near future.

The businesswoman says that the girls who visit her are happy to talk about their struggles as young mothers knowing that it is a ‘no judgment zone’ and that Tyra has been through a similar experience.

She said she was “not afraid to admit” to the struggles she had faced and was candid about her own history, which included homelessness, bad breakups, toxic friendships and awkward situations with family members.

Tyra, who earned her high school diploma online, also encourages attendees to set goals, as well as counseling on topics like financial literacy, CPR, nutrition and personal hygiene.

“It’s everything I didn’t learn as a teenager,” he said.

‘We teach and learn from each other.’

Tyra, who is the sole employee of A Girl Like Me, does not earn a salary, but continues to go from strength to strength.

The community-minded businesswoman is now married and has since fathered two more children.

She is currently finishing college to earn an associate’s degree to become a surgical technician, but remains dedicated to her work at the organization with hopes of expanding in the near future.