Aurora Starchild
This is one dedicated “momma.” 21-year-old Hunter Nelson has a 15-year-old “daughter,” and yes it raises as many eyebrows as you’re probably thinking. She just graduated high school a few years ago and now she’s having a hard time being taken seriously by her minor’s teachers.
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The 21-Year-Old Mom Did Not Have a Baby When She Was 6 Years Old
Just to clarify, no, Hunter Nelson didn’t have a child at the age of 6. In fact, her “daughter” isn’t even her biological offspring. She adopted her stepsister because of an extenuating situation.
Hunter Nelson first went viral 18 months ago when she’d recently adopted her little sister. She grew up in Kentucky but had moved to North Carolina where it is legal for a 21-year-old to adopt a teenager.
“Me driving down the road am realizing I’m 21 with a 15-year-old,” Hunter captioned her TikTok video. “No other parents or staff members at her HS are gonna take me serious… I can already feel people asking me what grade I’m in when I go to her events.”
The video has already received over 8.2 million views. Of course, the public wants to know more. Her entire TikTok channel is now dedicated to sharing what it’s like being in her shoes. 21-year-old Nelson specifically said she wanted to share her story because there are other young people in similar situations and she wanted to have the conversation.
“I recently filed for guardianship of my sister a few months ago because our dad passed away in 2015 and her mom passed away a few months ago,” she explained. “And I thought the best way to keep my sister safe, happy, and have all her needs and wants met was to come move a couple states over and live with me.”
Nelson Is Studying to Be a Teacher and Works Full-Time
21-year-old mom Hunter Nelson added that she’s a full-time college student and full-time worker. And while all her friends were hanging out, instead she put Gracie’s needs first. That includes picking her up from her extracurricular activities, like cheerleading practice.
In one video, Nelson explained that she’s in a teacher education program at school. That in itself is a lot of work and a source of stress, she said.
More recently, Nelson took to TikTok to address the onslaught of commenters who have chosen to harass her. Many were accusing her of seeking attention and making clickbait. Others were putting her down for her lifestyle, which includes living in a trailer and succumbing to welfare checks.
“It is extremely classist to get into my comments and use welfare check in a trailer in a negative light,” she said. “Say it with me: ‘There is nothing wrong with people getting the help that they need. There is nothing wrong with living in a trailer.’ Some people live differently than I do. Some people live differently than you do. That doesn’t mean they’re not happy and that doesn’t mean they’re not people of quality.”
Specifically, a New York Post article mentioned specific videos of Nelson’s, which have since been taken down. In one, she spoke about getting death threats from Gracie’s extended family due to the custody battle. In another, she said that Gracie initially protested Hunter being her legal guardian.
But it seems like Gracie is holding up pretty well considering the circumstances. And Hunter Nelson certainly deserves some brownie points for looking out for her sister. Not many young 20-somethings would do the same thing.
