Cape Town - A teen mother was so determined to write her matric exam that four hours after giving birth to a baby boy, she was at her desk writing her Afrikaans paper.
Eighteen-year-old Shamegah Samuels wrote the paper at Lavender Hill Secondary School at 9am after asking doctors if she could leave the hospital after giving birth.
The young mother, who lives in Hillview, Lavender Hill, started having cramps last Monday before going into labour at 10pm.
“I had cramps that night and didn’t tell my mommy because I didn’t know if it was labour pains.
“I later went into labour and then gave birth at around 5am at the Retreat Day Hospital on Tuesday morning.”
The teenager said she told doctors that she was writing exams at 9am and asked whether she could leave to write.
“I was just determined from the beginning to complete my matric.
“Everyone always talks badly about Lavender Hill and I just wanted to make a difference and show that you can become something, even if you are from Lavender Hill.”
She added that it was not a difficult labour the previous night, although she was in a bit of pain.
“When I went to write the exam my friends still asked why I was there.
“I asked the doctors whether I could leave to write my exam and they said I could if I wanted to.”
Samuels said she wanted to overcome all her obstacles and complete her matric. “My mom has been my inspiration.”
She named her son Mogamat Zaid and said she had to take him for a check-up on Wednesday.
“He was due on December 15, so he arrived early,” she said with a broad smile.
After baby Mogamat was born his mother continued to study at night.
“He cried a lot at night and then I would tell him that mommy is studying.
“I studied hard and put in extra time and was very energetic and awake at night.”
Samuels said she applied for a bursary at False Bay College and she wants to study further next year.
“I want to get my mom out of here and see her happy and I would also like to help my siblings study further.”
Faseeg Manie, principal of Lavender Hill Secondary, said pupils from the school were up against the most amazing odds due to the circumstances they faced.
“She said that she wanted to finish her exams, although we gave her the option to write at a later stage.
“This is the kind of resilience our young people have.”
Cape Argus