Most people believe that the birth of a child is a miracle, whatever the circumstance. But when the child is born to parents who are themselves, children, matters can become more complicated. For Alfie Patten, this complicated situation became his life, when he found out that he would become a father aged only 13.
Alfie's girlfriend of 15 told him that she was pregnant when he himself was only 12. Reporters and newspapers branded Alfie the UK's youngest father, but unfortunately for Alfie, there was a lot more to the story than that.
Alfie's girlfriend of 15 told him that she was pregnant when he himself was only 12. Reporters and newspapers branded Alfie the UK's youngest father, but unfortunately for Alfie, there was a lot more to the story than that.
Alfie's Life
Aflie's life was fairly similar to that of any young boy. He had a mom and a dad that loved him very much, and spent the first 12 years of his life attending school and living in a quiet coastal area of Britain. At 12 years old, it was time for Alfie to leave his primary school behind and move into high school. At just 4ft and 4inches, he was hopeful for the future and had no idea about the path that his life would take.
As Alfie reached the end of his primary school career, he began to show signs that he was growing up a little. He was still young at heart but was keen to be grown up and hang out with new people. He knew that when he left primary school, he would be forced to make new friends at school and face new challenges, but he was excited about the prospect of 'growing up.' Alfie was keen to start his high school career and see what the future had in store.
Making New Friends
Alfie was always keen to get home from school and play out with his friends in the local area. He was a popular young boy and had a lot of friends to play with. When playing outside of school, Alfie began to brush shoulders with kids that were older than him.
He liked hanging out with teenagers instead of the kids from his school, but he didn't always understand what they were talking about. They spent a lot of time talking about and chasing after girls in the area.
An Interest in Girls
The more time Alfie spent with the older kids, the more he began to notice the girls around him. He'd never really been interested in girls before, but he was reaching an age where he became more intrigued by them. He'd never really had a girlfriend, but Alfie was starting to see why his older friends spent so much time talking about them. Alfie began to think that it might be nice to have a girlfriend or maybe even a first kiss.
Around this time, Alfie started spending time with Chantelle. Chantelle had always been around and was a family friend of Alfies and his family, but they'd never really spend much time together. Chantelle was 3 years older than Alfie, but the two quickly became besotted with one another. Chantelle was Alfie's first girlfriend, and according to Chantelle, she had never been with any other boys. Despite their age difference the two were a happy couple and love spending time together. Alfie even stayed over at Chantelle's house from time to time.
Shocking News
One day, after Alfie and Chantelle had been dating for a while, Alfie was getting ready to go out to play with his friends. He knew that Chantelle would be there and was excited to see her. It was a day like any other, and Alfie could never have expected what was coming next. When he went out in the street to play, Chantelle approached Alfie and told him that she had some news. That's when she dropped a bombshell and informed Alfie that he was going to be a father, in less than a month.
When Chantelle first told Alfie the news, he had no idea what to think. He had no inkling that Chantelle had been pregnant for nearly 8 months, and considered what he could do next. He asked Chantelle more questions to confirm that he was definitely the father and she said yes. Alfie thought that it would be unfair to question Chantelle anymore about it, so he headed home and tried to think of a way to tell his parents about what had happened.
Telling His Parents
It took a while for the news to really sink in for Alfie. He didn't know anything about babies and wasn't really sure how to approach the topic with his mum. He decided to bite the bullet and tell his mom the truth. When she found out, she was devastated. She told reporters "His voice hadn’t even broken. Then he told me he was going to be a dad." Both of his parents were in shock about the whole situation and when they asked Alfie for more details, he would clam up and avoid the topic.
Despite Alfie's avoidance of the issue, his parents knew how hard things would be for him, so they did their best to be supportive. Alfie's mom made a decision that she was going to help him to be a dad and made plans to do everything she could. At the time she told reporters "I even spent hundreds of pounds adapting his bedroom into a nursery." Both of Alfie's parents knew that having a baby was going to drastically change his life and wanted to be there for him every step of the way.
The Preparations
Alfie and his family had only found out about Chantelle's pregnancy a month before her due date, so they hastily prepared for the baby's arrival. Alfie decided that he was going to do what he could to be a part of the baby's life, and he was keen to be present when his child was born. He didn't really know much about how pregnancy and childbirth worked, but he wanted to meet his new baby and be a good dad.
Finally, the day came and Chantelle gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Alfie and Chantelle named the baby Maisie Roxanne and doted over their new little girl at the hospital. By the time that Maisie was born, the newspapers had caught wind of Alfie and Chantelle's unique situation and wanted to report on the story as soon as possible. Reporters from tabloid newspapers arrived at the hospital and the couple took part in photoshoots with their new baby. Alfie was dubbed Britain's youngest Dad and made headlines across the country.
Unwanted Publicity
In the days and weeks that followed, interest in Alfie's story intensified. Papers across the country reported on the story, and Alfie and his family received a lot of judgment and abuse from people on social media. Things got even worse when Alfies was getting spotted around his local area and asked for autographs.
When news of Alfie's parenthood reached the government, Alfie's situation was discussed in Parliament, with ministers proposing reforms to sex education in the school system. For Alfie and his parents, things were tough. Alfie's mom told reporters "Our lives were turned upside down."
Becoming Parents
Despite all the media attention, Alfie had more important things to think about. He was now the Dad of a beautiful little girl and he wanted to spend time with her and care for her.
Luckily, Chantelle and Alfie both had very supportive parents, so they had a lot of help when caring for Maisie. But with the pressure from the media, and the big change that came with having a baby, Alfie and Chantelle struggled to get used to the idea that they were now parents.
Casting Doubts
As the story of Alfie and Chantelle's pregnancy circulated in the local area, people began to cast doubts about whether or not Alfie was the real father. A lot of people questioned whether Alfie was even old enough to father a child, as he didn't seem to have hit puberty yet.
Others insisted that the baby's father was another boy in the neighborhood that Chantelle had also been with. Chantelle hit back at the claims stating 'I love Alfie... there had been no one else...the other stupid boys are lying'.
Other Boys
Despite Chantelle's reassurance that Alfie was the father, rumors continued to circulate in the area. Two other boys had now come forward, claiming to have slept with Chantelle at a time that could make them the baby's father.
Alfie tried to ignore the claims and took Chantelle's word that he was the father. At this point, Alfie was beginning to get used to the idea of being a dad and had spent a lot of time caring for his newborn baby.
DNA Test
However, Alfie's parents couldn't ignore the fact that other boys were claiming to be the father. In order to dispel any doubts, they suggested to Alfie that they do a DNA test to find out who the real father was.
At the time, Alfie didn't even know what a DNA test was but after his mum explained, he agreed to go along with it. The other boys that were claiming to be Maisie's father were also invited to take part in the test.
Results
On the day of the test, Alfie nervously awaited the results. One of the other boys, Tyler, had given detailed accounts of the night he spent with Chantelle and this made him very worried about what the outcome would be.
After waiting anxiously in the test office, they were finally called back to hear the results. Unfortunately for Alfie, the test came back negative. He wasn't the father. Alfie immediately broke down in tears. According to his mum, "he was absolutely hysterical. He burst out crying and then he ran out of the room."
The Real Father
After Alfie had received the awful news, the truth began to emerge about who the father actually was. As many people had suspected, the father was an older boy, named Tyler Barker.
Tyler was equally shocked to find out he was the father, telling papers that he had only been with Chantelle once. According to Tyler, the two didn't use any contraceptives, but Chantelle had told him that she would take the morning-after pill. When Tyler heard the news that Chantelle had given birth, he began to suspect that the baby was his.
Shock and Despair
For Alfie and his mom, the shock of finding out the results was hard to bear. As soon as they were announced, Alfie couldn't see Maisie anymore, and Chantelle and her family moved out of the area.
Alfie's mom couldn't believe that her poor son had had to go through so much pain and hardship at such a young age. Once again the papers wanted to report on the new developments, but this time, the family were a little less keen to speak out about the matter.
Depression
Finding out that he wasn't the father had a significant effect on Alfie's mental health and lifestyle. Since Maisie had been born, he had been transitioning from a young boy into a father, and he had strong paternal feelings towards Maisie. After the DNA test, Alfie could no longer care for his daughter and was heartbroken, confused, and depressed. He spent a lot of time at home, avoiding reporters. Alfie also didn't return to school for a long time after the news broke.
After a while, Alfie began to accept the fact that he wasn't Maisie's father, and move on with his life. Despite missing a lot of education as a result of the ordeal, Alfie went back to school and even started dating a new girl. As time passed, Alfie found it easier to forget the pain and trouble the situation had caused and felt as though it may be time to speak out about what had happened to him after the DNA test results were confirmed.
A Final Twist
When Alfie was 15, he and his mom decided to speak to the papers once again. They wanted to speak out about the effect that the situation and the media attention had had on poor Alfie's life. They also had some even more shocking news to share.
According to Alfie's mom, her son never actually had sex with Chantelle. His mom told papers that Alfie had been confused and simply accepted the idea that he was the dad when Chantelle had told him. Now older and wiser, Alfie explained to his mom that he was a virgin and wants to stay that way until he turns 18.
A Lesson to Be Learned
Recently, Alfie read headlines about a couple, 12 and 13 that are expecting a baby. The two are swarmed by media attention and are set to be the UK's youngest couple. As someone who has been through a similar life event, Alfie decided to speak out again and share his story to deter other children from taking the same path.
According to Alfie, his life was completely ruined by the event that happened when he was 12 and things have never been the same since. Alfie told interviewers that what happened all those years ago has had a huge impact on his prospects.
Alfie Now
Just last year, Alfie spoke to reporters again about how what happened when he was 12 has left him in a really tough position. Alfie is now 18 and jobless, and he didn’t do too well in school. In a recent interview, Alfie told reporters "It was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made and it’s really affected me. I left school with no GCSEs, and I’ve never worked. I can’t imagine how hard life would be if I had to be a father too”.
Hopefully, things will brighten up for Alfie in the future, but for now, his story serves as an extremely sobering lesson to young people everywhere.
This Mom Places Her Baby for Adoption and Claims Her Back Two Years Later
Pregnancy is known to bring about feelings of overwhelming happiness and a state of nirvana. There are, however, times when things take a turn for the worst and your emotions become overwhelming. Everything transforms into fear and insecurity as to whether or not you will be able to cope with the dramatic changes you are about to encounter.
Will you be able to provide for the child? Sometimes, mothers are just incapable of getting a grip of their emotions which forces them to consider giving their child up for adoption. It was the case of Kristen, who fell pregnant at 22 and gave her baby up for adoption, but now, she wants her back.
Plenty of Time to Find the Right Parents
Age plays a big role in motherhood. Sometimes a woman is too young to be able to cope with it. The "right age" for motherhood all depends on the woman, everyone is different. Some girls dream of motherhood from a young age and are financially and emotionally stable enough to handle the task. Some women never manage to let go of their need for freedom and also think differently about the state of the planet and decide to not have children at all.
Whatever the reasons, whether some women have a choice or not, everything depends on the individual personality of the women and how well they can cope. Kristen fell pregnant at 22, which some might argue is old enough to be a mother. Kristen didn't think she was capable of motherhood so she decided to give her child up to adoption. She had plenty of time to think it through and consider the right parents.
Choosing Her Step-Father and His New Wife
Choosing her step-father and his wife as the baby's parents meant that there was a feeling of trust between them and that she had faith in their parenting abilities.
Choosing her step-father and his wife as the baby's parents meant that there was a feeling of trust between them and that she had faith in their parenting abilities.
Emotional and Physical Support
Knowing how hard it is for a 22-year-old to take care of themselves in the world today, her step-father and his wife took pregnant Kristen in and gave her a place to stay. They supported her financially as well as emotionally in the hopes that her pregnancy would be smooth with no added stress to her or the unborn child. Things looked very promising and with Kristen in their home, they could keep an eye on her progression through the pregnancy stages as well as act quickly if anything would go wrong.
Between Kristen and the new adoptive parents, there was more than enough love and care for everyone to feel secure with the decision that Kristen made. The baby was not even born yet and there was plenty of love for them.
New Parents, New Life
Kristen gave birth to a healthy baby girl. She even expressed her joy and gratitude on social media, a very personal post to make so publicly, but the new adoptive parents were supportive of this too.
Everything was set in stone, the adoption papers were processed and dealt with accordingly and the new parents received their new baby girl. Things seemed pleasant for everyone and the transition into their new lives as parents were off to a good start. Kristen’s step-father and his new wife could not have been happier for their new life, a dream come true.
Kristen Came Back Two Years Later
Imagine raising a child for two years like your own flesh and blood, feeding, loving, bathing, and clothing that child with all the love in your heart, only for the biological mother to return and want the child back. That is exactly what happened with Kristen and the adoptive parents. Kristen came back, pregnant again and demanding them to give back her now two-year-old daughter.
Not only did she return pregnant but she also started making very crazy and unfair accusations about the adoption procedure and the adoptive parents. We can only assume that being pregnant sparked up some intense motherly emotions and protective instincts which made her long for her first baby.
Outrageous Accusations
We do not have all the facts but according to Adam and Stacey, the adoptive parents, they allowed Kristen to be a part of the child's life. Most adoption rules are strict about not allowing the biological parent to have any visitation rights. These rules have been put in place for a reason, and it's mostly to protect the child, to make things as easy as possible for the child's new life and upbringing. With less confusion about who the child's parents are, the child can focus on having a "normal" life.
By giving up her child, Kristen clearly showed that she didn't want to, or couldn't be a part of her daughter's life. However, two years later, she claims the adoptive parents did not give her any rights to see the child during the early days after giving them the baby.
Kristen Affirms Adoptive Parents Planned Everything Behind Her Back
Either through visitations or reports on her progress, Kristen now claims that a week after the child was born, the adoptive parents changed their story and denied her any rights to see the child. They cut all communication and whether it was for the well-being of their new child or not, Kristen was left hurt and infuriated but with no leg to stand on as paperwork was signed and the baby girl was in their care now.
Kristen felt hurt and claimed the child to have been "taken" from her through manipulation and schemes. She was convinced that the whole adoption process was arranged behind her back and all of these claims now raised major issues with authorities. The only one suffering throughout all this was the child and her future mental and emotional state. You can imagine the mental impact being taken away from the very people you spent two years forming a bond with may have on a child.
Kristen’s Drug Claims Shocked the Viewers
We could understand the claims about Kristen being denied visitation rights after the baby was handed over to the adoptive parents. It's an expected change of heart which is obviously to protect the child. The accusations she made next were worrying, to say the least, and forced authorities to look into the situation. Kristen now claimed that the adoptive parents drugged her while she was in their care. According to her, they used something to trick her into giving them the child.
We're not sure what substances could do this, but she affirmed it made her sign the adoption papers without her recollection of it. If these accusations were true, they must've kept her drugged for quite some time as she agreed to the adoption from early on in her pregnancy right through until after the birth.
They Laid It All Bare on the Reality TV Show, Dr. Phil
No one was more eager to set the record straight than Adam and his wife Stacey who were now the legal custodians of the child. The outrageous claims caused quite a stir and they wanted to get to the bottom of it. Why did Kristen want the child back two years later? They thought about Dr. Phil, the perfect person to talk to. Not just him, but also the million viewers watching the show as the story unfolded on national television.
By the time they spoke to Dr. Phill, their baby girl was two years old and their bond was as strong as ever. The timing and drama were very inconvenient to the child and her legal parents.
Why Now, Kristen?
The plot thickened as Kristen claimed Stacey was mentally unstable and someone who had consistent psychotic episodes. She stated in the interviews that Stacy, the new adoptive mother, was on heavy doses of medication that needed to be taken regularly to prevent her from losing her mind. When the adoption was finalized, Kristen claimed that Stacy was not even there to witness or contribute to the decision-making process surrounding the child.
What made the world even more curious was the fact that Kristen waited a whole two years before coming forward with these accusations. Not only did she wait two years but she was now pregnant with another child.
A Pile of Dramatic Accusations
The accusations started piling up with more and more shocking statements. Kristen went all out with her stories and the new adoptive parents had enough. Not only were they angered by these accusations, but they were also out to set the record straight. If this had happened right after birth when the baby girl first came into their lives, it would've been a whole different story, but now it had been two years and they weren't having it. This was a whole can of worms that was not only unnecessary according to them, but harmful to the child.
What started peacefully had now turned into turmoil and was on national television for the whole world to see. Everything was double-checked, smooth, and legal concerning the adoption, everything until Kristen returned. They needed to get to the real reasons why.
Adam Tells His Side of the Story
It was finally Adams' time to present his side of the story. He made his disappointment about these accusations very clear and told everyone how Kristen had been causing trouble since the age of seven, which is when he started to get to know her. He went on to explain how she was a compulsive liar who created false scenarios to get attention and it carried on right through her teenage years with no stopping in sight.
He stated how Kristen was always in trouble at school, and as parents, they were regularly called in to see the school principal. Kristen was known for being too much to handle most of the time, and this made it easy to believe that the situation with the baby was nothing different from how she usually operated.
The Truth About Kristen and Adam's Fears
Kristen was always a loose cannon going from place to place never being able to see things through or commit to anything. She might have been 22 at the time of her first pregnancy, but it was no excuse to keep acting the way she was. She was unable to keep a job and, when she fell pregnant, Adam's only concern was how he would protect and nurture this child to keep her safe from Kristen's disruptive and unstable lifestyle. Adam stated that he acted out of compassion and love for the unborn child as he knew Kristen and knew that the baby would not be cared for with the young mother.
He also added that it seemed normal that anyone in his shoes would act the same way by offering to adopt the child, and also allow Kristen to live in their home for the duration of her pregnancy.
Stacey Steps in to Make Things Clearer
Stacey seemed to be targeted the hardest throughout this whole adoption story with Kristen making accusations about her mental health and ability to be a mother. Stacey brought her side of the story to the table in the hopes of putting Kristen’s claims to rest. She stated how Kristen wanted nothing to do with the child and that the nurses who cared for the baby the day she was born could confirm this. Kristen didn’t want to see or hold the child once she gave birth.
Stacey claimed it to have made the whole adoption process easier on everyone as there was no doubt in Kristen's mind that she did not want the child.
The Wheels Were Slowly Coming off
Both Kristen and Stacy were telling two different stories, each with their world of made-up and perceived ideas. It is hard to tell who was in the wrong and who had pure motives. What most are forgetting is that the child was the one who had no say or choice in any of this. Stacey went on to say that Kristen had only seen the baby twice and made no other effort to be a part of the child's life. With no evidence to any of the facts, it was hard for anyone to believe either side of their stories.
The whole situation started getting out of hand, right before everyone's eyes and the world was watching in total disbelief at how an adoption started so smoothly and then out of nowhere, turned into such a nightmare.
Their Word Against Hers
A lot of suspicion and speculation rose about the accusations Kristen made about being intoxicated by the adoptive parents, Adam and Stacey, and people were starting to wonder if she was not only stating this in the hopes to get her child back. Lying at the expense of the new adoptive parents. Adam went on to claim that Kristen had always been very difficult to deal with when it came to matters of discussion.
He said that she was unable to take responsibility for any of her actions, always making excuses and acting like the victim. It started looking more and more to everyone following this disturbing adoption story, that Kristen was indeed lying to get her child back, but there just was not enough evidence to prove anything. At the end of the day, it was their word against hers.
A Sweet Adoption That Turned Sour
Adoption is usually considered in the hopes to give the child a new life, home, and future, a better life than the biological parent can offer. Many adoption agencies are very strict concerning the "no talking to the biological parents" rule. Not only does it protect the child, but it also protects the parents from having to experience any more loss or false hopes and disappointment.
Raw emotions run wild and feelings can change very quickly. This sweet adoption process turned sour due to their family members not sticking to the guidelines of adoption. This child had now been living with her new parents, forming deep bonds for two years and with Kristen wanting to rip her away was quite selfish and unfair to the child, but where does one draw the line between a person's rights and what they actually deserve?
Stacey Makes the Final Statement
After many hours of debating and arguing, Stacy stepped in as the rightful mother of the child. She made it very clear that Kristen was no longer the child's mom. Kristen lost those privileges when she signed the paperwork and agreed to let Stacy and Adam care for the baby as adoptive parents and therefore had no say in the matter. Kristen decided two years prior that Stacey and Adam would be good parents and the decision was final.
Things had progressed quite rapidly in two years while Kristen was out of the picture and completely missing from their lives. She stated that Kristen had seen them fit to be parents and take over the parental duties of caring for the child. So what had changed now? Well, it doesn't matter because Stacy was not accepting Kristen's childish behavior any longer. Stacey clearly had had enough.
Kristen Refers to the Adoptive Parents as Evil
According to some sources, Kristen has had fallouts with Adam and Stacey before. The bottom line was that Adam used to be Kristen's step-father and it must've brought about some confusion and anger for her as he was now with another woman, hence the attack on Stacy. There was now a child involved and the two new parents were no longer taking any nonsense from Kristen.
They were growing sick and tired of Kristen's constant scene-provoking behavior, constantly calling Adam and Stacy "evil". They were now in the position of having to protect their adopted little girl and therefore they were fighting Kristen's accusations.
Adam and Stacy Deemed Fit to Be the Legal Guardians
Even though the adoption ended up being a very messy, and uncomfortable fight, Adam and Stacy still remained the proud parents of their adopted daughter. Things turned out to be quite horrific in the end, having to face each other on Dr.Phil and being accused of all sorts of things that no one could even prove to be written, or wrong. Kristen ended up portraying herself as the victim who didn't have a choice in the adoption process while Adam and Stacy claimed to be rightful owners who took all the necessary procedures through the adoption agency.
They were approved by the state to take care of the child, they were seen fit to act as guardians, and no matter what Kristen said, the agreement had been done, and there was no coming back from that. Adoption doesn't just happen overnight, it takes a long time for the state to process every person involved, to see if they are suited for the child and vice versa. This chapter was closed once Stacy made this all very clear.