Catelynn Lowell Adopts Younger Sister After Incident With Mother
"Teen Mom" stars Catelynn Lowell and fiancé Tyler Baltierra recently adopted Catelynn's younger sister, Sarah Haviland. Now the couple is speaking out about what led to their decision to take action and take care of the 16-year-old.
"She was living on a drug addict's porch without any food – what else was I supposed to do?" Catelynn told In Touch magazine.
Apparently, April Baltierra, Catelynn's mother and Tyler's stepmother, fell off the sober wagon and went back to using drugs. That, provided with her at-times volatile temper and behavior, led to Sarah being kicked out of the house. Catelynn and Tyler have always vowed to take care of their younger siblings and provide for them in whatever way they can. Catelynn previously said that she would intervene and take custody of her younger brother should the need arise. Instead, she and Tyler took custody of her sister.
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Catelynn and Tyler became famous for appearing on MTV's "16 & Pregnant." They were one of the few couples to choose adoption for their daughter, Carly. The decision was heart breaking for them both, but neither wanted their daughter raised in the same environment they had been raised in. Both Tyler and Catelynn's parents used drugs and abused alcohol, leading to an unstable family life.
They then went on to share their story on "Teen Mom," and worked to show viewers that adoption could be a very positive experience. They still have contact with their daughter and her adoptive parents and have a good relationship with them; they've met up with Carly several times since her birth and travel across the country sharing their story.
"We're not raising her but guiding her," Catelynn explained. She is only five years older than her sister and will likely be a good influence on the teen. Tyler is also actively participating in guiding Sarah. He was the first to tweet that they had taken her into their home.
"Raising a teen is not easy! But I love my lil sister & will stop at NOTHING to make sure she is well prepared for her future," Tyler tweeted. "2 days after taking the responsibility of taking guardianship of my lil sister, she got a job! Me & @CatelynnLowell are beyond proud of her!" he added.
