The bounce back – Lessons in perseverance from a teen mom

WHEN Christabel Barnaby walked down the aisle in December 2019 she was taking another step towards the life she had always dreamed of. Her flowing white gown and handsome groom suggested a fairytale that belied the trials and tragedy that had interrupted life for this 24-year-old on a few occasions. Just eight years before, Barnaby was marching down a different aisle, with her graduating class from Greater Portmore High School, all of eight months pregnant.

“When I found out I was pregnant it was really difficult. People said all kinds of things but mommy stood by me,” Barnaby recalled.

Facing what she describes as the backlash from their community and the church, the 17-year-old struggled at first. Having been raised as an Adventist, she says it was definitely a surprise for people — some of whom were not afraid to share their disappointment or use it as a weapon against her mother.

“’She gwaan like seh she betta dan people and har dawta pregnant.’ That’s the kind of thing they said. But mommy always kept her head up,” she asserted.

It was that same temerity that helped to sustain her during her pregnancy and shortly after when her oldest brother was murdered.

“My dad died when I was ten and my oldest brother was the one who stepped up and took over as father figure. At the time he was killed he wasn’t living with us anymore but he gave support with things like lunch money. So, when he died it was like losing another father,” explained Barnaby, adding that their mother also relied on her eldest to help keep the four younger ones in line.

Her mother’s love and support provided the springboard for her push to succeed, despite the odds. New baby or not, Barnaby made up her mind that she would work to make something of herself. Two years later, she found her niche. A faulty light switch in the kitchen presented a challenge that sparked her interest in all things electrical. She enrolled in a diploma programme at the National Tools and Engineering Institute and emerged as an electrical technician in 2018. Barnaby got her first stint in the field at an energy company, but moved on less than a year later for a role as a machine operator at Red Stripe.

While she is not currently working in her chosen field, she asserts that the job keeps her on her toes.

“I am part of a two-man team that operates, repairs and maintains any of the four major machines on the Flex Line, which produces Red Stripe products in cans. I’m one of only three female operators in this entire business,” she beamed.

Barnaby has already developed a reputation for being a high performer in a male-dominated area of the manufacturing giant.

These days as a new wife and mother of a well-adjusted eight-year-old, Barnaby looks back at her life with appreciation for lessons learnt. While missteps in her teen years growing up in Spring Village, St Catherine, are firmly behind her, the young professional sees value in her journey.

“The whole experience has helped to shape me into the person I’ve become. I’ve inspired others not to give up. You might fall, but get up and brush yourself off,” she urged.

“I now see my daughter Christalee as a blessing. She is an honour roll student, very outspoken. She’s made her mommy very proud.”