Alfie Patten was only 12 years old when he found out that his girlfriend was having a baby. When he was 13, he became a father. Things escalated when a paternity test came out, and people began attacking their families…
Alfie Patten
Alfie Patten was living in Eastbourne, Britain with his parents. He was living the life of a normal 12-year-old boy. He had a lot of good friends and was even dating his first-ever girlfriend, Chantelle Stedman.
Dating Chantelle
Chantelle Stedman was 15 when she started dating Alfie. The three-year difference was a bit troubling, but they seemed innocent enough. Until Chantelle went to Alfie and his parents with some news…
She Was Pregnant
Everyone was shocked to learn that Alfie and Chantelle had been together that way. He was 12, after all! Word spread quickly…
Word Is Spreading
“The attention I drew was incredible,” Little Alfie remembered. “Wherever I went, people recognized me. I could not leave the house for weeks. I had to leave school.” His real-life got too chaotic…
Then, The Media Caught Wind
It didn’t take long for the news media to hear about what happened in the small town of Eastbourne. First, it was on Facebook… Then, the local media took over, and finally, it made national news.
Too Young
The biggest part of this story is the fact that everyone felt that the couple was far too young to have a baby… They didn’t even have the money to pay for one. When he was interviewed, people started getting worried…
Can’t Parent
During an interview, someone asked Alfie if he had the financial means for a baby. When he responded, “What is financial?” people began to worry…
This Isn’t Smart
Weirdly enough, the media turned on the young boy. They began to criticize him for being a ‘bad’ parent and not having a job. They even attacked Chantelle.
Chantelle’s Story
15-year-old Chantelle Stedman went through a quick 5-hour labor. She gave birth to Maisie Roxanne. In the aftermath of the birth, despite everything else going on, Alfie and Chantelle were elated.
A Premature Birth
Maisie was only 3.5 pounds when she was born. It was a miracle that she was alive! Luckily, the baby gained enough weight to go home with her mother. Unfortunately, the drama was only beginning…
Alfie and Maisie
“When I held Maisie for the first time, it was amazing,” Alfie remembered. “I was too young to understand the consequences of being a dad, but I wanted to keep it and I loved her right away.”
Nicola’s Take
Alfie’s mother, Nicola, was worried about her son. She was surprised to see that he wanted to take on the fatherly role, which was great, but something wasn’t sitting well with her…
Something Isn’t Right
She decided to sit down and have a talk with him. She asked him how everything happened with Chantelle. Alfie was confused. How “what” all happened?
Dazed and Confused
“When I tried to talk to him about exactly how it should happen, “he seemed lost.” He wasn’t sure how Chantelle got pregnant because they hadn’t been together that way… He was too young to really understand. This was a red flag.
A Paternity Test
Nicola finally demanded that her son get a paternity test. Chantelle’s story didn’t match up with Alfie’s story, and Nicola was afraid that her young son had been taken advantage of…
The Results Are In…
Unfortunately, the test showed that Chantelle had lied. Alfie was not the father of the little baby…
Horrible News
Alfie, even only being 13, felt like his world had crashed around him. “I was crying for days and not going out of my room.”
Losing Permission
Chantelle claims that she wasn’t sure how this happened, but nonetheless, she banned Alfie from seeing Maisie. She broke up with Alfie and cut all contact…
A Young Broken Heart
“To make things worse,” says Alfie “I’ve never seen Maisie ever since Chantelle and her family were aware that I was not the dad.” Alfie loved Maisie with all of his heart, and it still plagues him to think that she isn’t his…
Who Is The Dad?
Apparently, Chantelle got around a bit. There were many boys who went to take paternity tests as well.
Chantelle Made a Name for Herself
According to local rumors, Chantelle was known for being many boys’ “firsts.” A lot of them could have been Maisie’s dad…
Tyler Barker
Tyler Barker was also 13 when he and Chantelle were together. It had only been one time, but he had a feeling he could have been Maisie’s father…
The Confusion With Alfie
“Alfie truly believed he was a dad. I asked him repeatedly if he was sure about this. Was he certain he had lost his virginity and could be the father of a child?” Nicola said when she spoke to reporters. They just weren’t sure…
Alfie’s Dad
Nicola revealed that Alfie’s father, Dennis, let the media control his son. “Lots of people thought he wasn’t the father, in my family Âanyway, but Dennis took over and I didn’t do anything to stop it. I didn’t know how to,”
Furious Mother
People began trying to make fun of Alfie and his family after the news broke. “I was fuming.” said Nicola, “People said we lived on some scummy estate. I’ve got nothing against council Âestates. I grew up on one.”
Things Were Getting Worse
Soon, people went to attack the parents of Chantelle and Alfie. They felt that there was a lack of parents “Alfie wasn’t a tearaway from a broken home. We were a nice family,” she said.
Rumors Swirl
Soon enough, more and more rumors began coming out. Alfie and Chantelle were allegedly seen in scandalous positions in random gardens.
Sleepovers?
Others said that Alfie was allowed to stay at Chantelle’s home. They even shared a room and kept clothes at each other parents’ homes. The families adamantly deny these claims.
Family Troubles
News outlets tried reaching out to other family members even far removed. Dennis’s mother even said that she didn’t want anything to do with the situation. It was apparent that the media attention was hurting the family.
It’s Societal
Britain has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in Western Europe. It’s obviously not Chantelle or Alfie’s parent’s problems, but a societal problem. Hopefully, things have gotten better for their families…