When Melania looks back on her childhood, the word that comes to mind is joy. She grew up surrounded by adventure, biking, camping, and horseback riding with her adopted siblings. But her senior year of high school, life changed in a way she never expected—she found out she was pregnant.
The news came as a shock to her and her family, but Melania knew instantly:
“This baby was my baby, and I wanted to be her mom.”
With the love and support of her parents, she chose to embrace motherhood, even while knowing her life would look very different from her peers. That’s when her school counselor referred her to Safe Babies Healthy Families (SBHF), and the program quickly became a cornerstone of her journey.
At a time when society told her she was “just a statistic,” SBHF reminded Melania that she and her daughter deserved more.
“Safe Babies Healthy Families was like, full stop—you do not have to feel that way. You have every single right, freedom, and tool to have so much joy.”
Through home visits, wraparound support, and a focus on her goals as both a mother and individual, Melania found hope, confidence, and connection. SBHF helped her step out of isolation, giving her and her baby opportunities to thrive.
Today, her daughter Yara—whose name means “little butterfly”—is thriving too. Smart, curious, and full of joy, she loves math and science and dreams of becoming a marine biologist. For Melania, the greatest gift has been building a home where her daughter feels safe, loved, and free to be herself.
“The world is not all sunshine and rainbows,” she says, “but our home can be.”
Safe Babies Healthy Families was there to ensure that Melania and Yara’s story wasn’t defined by hardship, but by strength, love, and the power of support.
