Tyler Baltierra  |  Catelynn Lowell

Tyler Baltierra
My mother, Kimberly, raised my older sister, Amber, and I, in Marine City, Michigan. My father, Butch, has barely been in my life. He and my mom were never married. When I was four years old, my mom left my dad, because of his drug abuse. My mom has always worked two jobs, and struggled to single handedly raise my sister and I. My dad has always been a drug addict, and spent much of his life in prison. My mom has always been sober.

My mom is my rock. I love her so much. She has always put her children before anyone else. She is very involved with her church and a strong believer in the Lord. My mom gives me Faith in what I do. She was saved in 2005 and has been that way ever since. Before my mom was saved, she had a lot of boyfriends—some I liked and some I didn’t.

I grew up with severe anger problems, refusing to listen to anyone but myself, which led to loads of trouble in school. I was always in the principal’s office, mouthing back, not listening, and completely out of control. I earned my first suspension at the beginning of second grade. Before school even started, I was kicked out of all my day cares, and babysitters could not control my erratic behavior. My constant need for attention lead me to acting out as a child.

I’ve had an authority problem for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been in counseling since the age of four. I was a very independent child, always preferring to do things myself. I tried having a relationship with my father, through his years in and out of jail, but whenever I started getting comfortable and feeling loved, he wound up back in prison. When I was eight years old, I watched five cops attack my dad, outside my uncle’s house, slamming his head to the concrete, and all I could do was watch and cry as they took him away from me… again. I chased the cop car down the street until finally collapsing to my knees, and hyperventilated with tears streaming down my cheeks. Amber picked me up and we cried in the middle of the street, watching the cop car disappear in the distance for what seemed like eternity. That’s when my life turned around for the worst.

I lit my first cigarette at eight years old. Cigarettes led to drinking and drinking led to other unworthy, unacceptable things. I am not proud of those years, and will never go back, as long as I live. I continued to struggle in school, until the 9th grade, when I failed and got no credits at all. Failing forced me to transfer into the alternative high school that I graduated from, with all A’s and B’s. Before I became such a scholar, I found my soul-mate. It was our 7th grade music class, her name was Catleynn Lowell, and I have loved her since the moment I saw her. Her punk rocker hair and attitude matched perfectly for my edgy, hyper personality. I asked her why she fell in love with me and I quote "you could always make me laugh." Catelynn and I have pretty much been dating ever since and love each other very much. That love eventually led to a baby, we are now the proud parents of a beautiful little girl named Carly, who was born May 18th, 2009. That day changed my life, forever.

Because of the instability in our homes, being the tender age of sixteen, and having the epiphany of knowing our daughter deserved better, we decided it would be best to place our daughter in a completely open adoption. We chose that option with one person in mind—our daughter, because she deserved the best and at the time I couldn't provide her the best. As a parent, I made the greatest sacrifice in order to provide her with the best life.

We know we made the right decision for her. Since the day we discovered Catelynn’s pregnancy, we have completely turned our lives around for the better. We want to make our daughter proud of us and we want her to know that we will always love and adore her, with every bone, breath, and heartbeat we have.

I’m enrolling at Baker College, to become a youth counselor. I want to eventually open a runaway house that provides a place for children to escape their abusive families. Catelynn and I have had some opportunities to speak and help influence children, across the country. I am passionate about helping kids who are struggling in ways similar to the struggles I’ve faced.

Thank you for visiting our website and reading our story.

Love,

Tyler Baltierra

"I let my angel go, only to see her fly with more grace, more opportunity, and a never ending world to explore, because that is what angels deserve" -Tyler

Catelynn Lowell
Hi, this is Catelynn Lowell. Here are some details about my past, for those of you who have been following my story. I hope they help explain who I am, where I came from, and where I’m going.
I was born in Port Huron, Michigan, but my mom raised me in Marine City, Michigan. My parents were never married, and my dad moved out when I was three. He remarried, and I became connected to my step-sister, Amber, but they moved away from Michigan when I was 11. My Mom had two more children, my younger siblings, Nicholas and Sarah, who I’ve helped look after and take care of. I always thought I was the oldest child, but at age 13, I discovered that I have an older brother named Andrew. My Dad didn’t know about Andrew until he was 16 years old, and I’ve only met him a few times.

My Mom and I didn’t have much money, which led to broken leases, and a lot of relocating. When I was 15, we moved to a rough neighborhood in Detroit, where I was unable to go to school, so I had to live with my Grandparents for 7 months. I’ve lived in Texas, Florida, and Ohio, but I always seem to find my way back to Marine City, which I call home.

I met Tyler in the 7th grade. I think it was love at first sight, and the feeling was mutual! Besides a short break in the 8th grade, we have been together ever since, going on 8 years! When we discovered that I was pregnant, he was my greatest supporter. Together, we made what I believe was the best decision for our daughter.

I’ve learned a lot, watching my Mother struggle to raise her children and make ends meet. I’ve also learned from my own personal hardships. When Tyler and I discovered that I was pregnant, we had come to a crossroads in our lives. We could have struggled to parent our child, as my parents had struggled to parent me, or place the baby for adoption, allowing her to grow up in a better environment than the one I could have provided. It was also an opportunity to give the greatest gift of life.

Tyler and I are planning to enroll in Baker College in 2012. I’ll be taking classes to prepare myself for a future in adoption counseling. Having spoken at multiple High Schools in Michigan and Tennessee, I’ve already had the chance to help some teenage girls better understand their options in unplanned pregnancies. I’ve also been fortunate enough to share my story at birthparent retreats, supported by the “On Your Feet Foundation.” I enjoy helping people who are in situations similar to the one I was in, and I’m grateful to have a purpose for the lessons I’ve learned throughout my life.