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Halle became a mother at 17. The pregnancy itself was shaped by trauma, including and instability. “My whole pregnancy I was sad and crying but at the end of the tunnel was my daughter – and she was the best thing that happened to me.”
Halle grew up outdoors – camping, riding dirt bikes and giving anything a go. “You don’t know if you’re good at something unless you give it a crack – at least you can say you tried.” That same spirit carries through to her daughter, now almost four. The pair spend their days outside on similar adventures.
But for a time, life was defined by survival. Nearly three years ago, Halle was living in a women’s shelter. Halle was desperate for stability and somewhere safe to raise her daughter.
That’s when Halle became part of Brave’s Supporting Expecting and Parenting Teens (SEPT) program and was connected with her mentor who helped her navigate housing, finances, safety and her own wellbeing.
Within three months, Halle secured stable housing. “I was just trying to get bub out of the shelter. I was pretty glad when we finally got a place.”
Beyond housing, SEPT helped Halle rebuild a sense of control. With support, she learned to set boundaries around money and safety, address harmful coping patterns, and find her confidence again. “That support helped me more than I realised I needed.”
The program also helped Halle reconnect with herself as a person, not just a parent. She’d always drawn and painted growing up but had never imagined her work might be shared beyond her friends and family. One illustration – sketched with her own mum as her model – became a powerful expression of what being a young single mum meant to her: holding the world, her child, in the palm of her hand, while growing up together.
Today, Halle describes her daughter as her “little best friend.” She loves watching her curiosity, her smarts, her sass. Parenting isn’t easy – it brings both joy and chaos – but Halle meets it head-on. “I love growing with her. She’s everything.”
Looking ahead, Halle dreams of becoming a mechanic, travelling and one day owning a small place of her own – maybe even with a goat.
Reflecting on Brave’s SEPT program, Halle is clear. “I was sceptical at first… I thought it was just another service. But it changed my life in ways I didn’t even think needed fixing.”
