I Gave Birth in Prison at 18 as a Drug Addict | Can Ask Meh?

Hannah started taking drugs at the age of 13. At 18, she went to jail when she was five months pregnant and gave birth to her son in prison.
On this episode of Can Ask Meh, she shares why it was so difficult to break free from her addiction and how she managed to overcome it.
══ Content ══
0:00 Intro
0:51 How old were you when you first took drugs?
2:39 Weren't you afraid of getting addicted?
4:12 What was the most difficult thing about being pregnant in prison?
6:58 Didn't you feel sorry towards your son?
11:27 Do you think I'm a good mother?
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[@The-lf8db]

Such calm and well spoken mother and son..

[@20pointer]

ya they gone through alot to be so calm now

[@karebu2]

I wouldn't say well spoken tbh.

[@cnaizhen]

Off topic here, but i'm impressed by how well this lady articulates considering that her education had been affected by the environment she is in when she's young.

[@ProjectElf]

its great that the son isnt ashamed that he is a prison baby. some ppl might think that its smtg they would rather others not know but he is so brave to admit it!

[@withaswayyo]

She’s a survivor. She didn’t label herself as a victim of circumstances. She moved on for her son and for herself. With this set in her mind, she managed to have a second life with her very adorable son. Congrats!

[@sintiayuliani9123]

THANK GOODNESS IT WAS OUT OF STOCK... thank you OGS for sharing her story.

[@jgfishz1zz1]

Hopefully she is not judged for her past, She seems well spoken and very mature.

[@RonLarhz]

We also don't know how they r like IRL. We only see this video.

[@eddiensw]

Thank you Hannah for sharing with us your struggles and how you journeyed thru. most of us would never understand the pain of bearing your baby in prison. You are a good mother...you just had to face many demons in your teenage years that led to wrong choices..you have paid your dues and moved on. Thank you for encouraging us that we can start again in life. Lewayne..you are a great son to a good mother and you will have a great future.

[@victorvictor4235]

She sounded so calm. It’s hard to know that she went through so much.

[@yanyuet]

Such a mature boy, speaks about her parenting

[@huiyingtanyayap]

She is so brave .

[@elou.bunbun]

the emotional intelligence of this mother and son is incredible, and i love that they communicate openly and care for each other so much. they cherish each other immensely. while Hannah overcame these great challenges through love and willpower, we shouldn't congratulate ourselves by saying Singapore's system of handling drug addiction is flawless. this story shows us that singapore's prison system needs to orient itself toward rehabilitation and care especially for young offenders in precarious situations. that way, perhaps, it won't take a miracle to break out of the vicious cycle, but instead, breaking addicts out of the vicious cycle should be the goal for the institutions that handle them.

[@elou.bunbun]

side note: her makeup is flawless

[@noname-kh3fz]

Portugal has supported drug decriminalization for more than a decade. What they have discovered since they made this effort is that not only do addiction rates to the once illegal drugs go down, but so do the substance abuse rates. Because those that do have addiction or substance abuse issues are not jailed, but treated, the costs of treatment are typically lower and there are higher rates of recovery.

[@crablrone]

this is a great example where background doesnt define what you are but you are what you want. Despite being raised in a difficult situation, both mother and son could be also be a well spoken person. And thankfully the drug was out of stock and the mother did not undergo abortion but choose to have the baby. I mean there are people who had abortion and went back to their old life once they are out from prison. Thank you OGS for this episode!

[@msshopaholic21]

She’s so brave to acknowledge her life experience and learning from it even overcoming her addiction. That’s the most amazing thing and so proud of her. Having a child is beautiful but being away is the toughest and it’s a god send turning point. So so proud of you

[@LadySymphora]

I do hope they treat the women in labour with care. It’s so hard for them to go through it alone….

[@tareginda]

How can let pregnant woman go hungry...

[@stephanieallangarman5598]

I appreciate her honesty and openness about her choices and how she overcame it all. The choices we make can make our lives so difficult but sometimes it’s when we get the end of ourselves than we finally take steps to improve our lives.. I’m happy she decided to change and now has a new life with her son. Praying 🙏🏽 that they both decide to stay strong together.

[@rmn4]

Thank you for being willing to be so open and vulnerable with us. Definitely helped many of us to be more compassionate

[@ivanteo1973]

Hannah i so chill and cool. it's a sign of overcoming all odds and responsibility within her. She is a good mum.

[@Ramy-ql3tr]

Thank you for telling us about the other severe health issues with drug abuse. You and your son have courage to talk about your past to the public.

[@lequinntessential]

Thank you OGS for such a revealing feature and Hannah for sharing!

[@lydiat5819]

Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your story. You went through a lot from an innocent age and came out a wonderwoman ... BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO.

[@pringlesine]

Looking at the son’s personality, he definitely is a blessing to the mother. I wonder how a happy baby he must be

[@RebeccaEWebber]

Seeing that Hannah made it out makes me so happy. My older sister had similar struggles and was pregnant at 18, but didn't get herself out for many years later. I was 9 at the time. Our dad and I raised her oldest son but she had several more kids after him. The rest were also adopted.

[@dodo-nz6xt]

Thank you for sharing. You are very brave. As a mother with a son, I can’t imagine how u went through the pregnancy and after birth in prison. That just made me cried.

[@bekindbehonest588]

This beautiful soul gave me hope that one day my first born daughter will fine her way in life again and leave her addiction, life behind and start over. I stumble upon this channel and I felt like it was for a reason. 😊❤

[@shawnphee9921]

Thank you for sharing your story with us Hannah

[@eljen18]

“I was strict out of fear, I was strict to compensate” -most Parents probably

[@slaverian87]

such a good family! so proud of the mother and son! thanks for sharing your story!!! LIKES!!! 😇😇😇

[@MaverickEchoJuliet]

She is a lovely woman and I pray that she finds happiness and contentment in her current and future life. The son appears to be a well brought up and decent chap too. All the best to both of 'em !🥰

[@annabelletan7323]

Thank you for sharing your life experience and also for the things you do to help people who are coping with their lives.

[@veeandrea]

Such a moving sharing. Wishing you and your son nothing but the best!

[@gigibeach8905]

Thank you for sharing your inspirational story of strength and courage. I really enjoyed hearing your story. Thank you

[@viviankwan1101]

A very tough journey… Thank you, Hannah for sharing your life story and I applaud your bravery for doing so 👏👏👏👏👏 This will definitely give hope to others in similar circumstances. My sincere best wishes to you and your family 🙏

[@tracehhhh]

Thank you to OGS and of course Ms Hannah for sharing her very inspiring story. She is truly very brave!

[@syph365]

This is why Singapore's zero tolerance towards drugs is so important. Drug abuse affects not just the addict but the people around them too, even generations beyond. Once the problem takes root in society it is very hard to eliminate it. Just look at the western countries.

[@noname-kh3fz]

That's not totally true, not all drugs are equally harmful, and it also depends on whether people are able to use drugs responsibly. This woman has clearly abused drugs heavily in large amounts and even mixed different drugs at the same time. If other vices like alcohol abuse are socially accepted and not illegal, then I don't see why certain substances which are less harmful than alcohol are not allowed.

[@libiskit]

alcohol to some extent is made expensive in Singapore and largely is not as addictive to the population. For drugs the problem its harder to quit. So maybe you have control but for most entry users they don't.

[@noname-kh3fz]

@@libiskit What makes you think that alcohol is less addictive than other drugs, that is a misconception. The legality of a substance doesn't necessarily correlate with its potential harms.

[@libiskit]

@noname-kh3fz I'm pretty sure it doesn't destroy ppl and families to the same extent that drugs do. Anyway you compare the stats between serious offences related to alcohol vs drugs I'm sure drugs will have a larger number. Anyway I got kids so I'm not apologetic on my position, you want drugs go to a country that has them. You want to argue theory on freedom go another country and live there. Most of these drug supporters just talk theory and cite one or two good examples to support the point, conveniently leaving out all the negative examples.

[@libiskit]

@noname-kh3fz also you should go and understand country by country why they legalised drugs and if it worked, why so, usually its because it was already rampant like Portugal. But in our case, its not, so why legalise it , increase our user base, tax our health care system massively due to ODs and streets become unsafe like vancouver. So let's not be selfish for a few stupid ideals but look at other examples and weigh the cost benefits for ourselves carefully

[@wilsontan8606]

Thank you for sharing, it is very meaningful.

[@user-yr6wk6us5t]

This was beautiful and both have such deep self awareness and knowledge. ❤❤

[@mariachristineasuncion6081]

Such an inspiring story. Thank you for sharing

[@rabbit5000]

thank you for sharing your story Hannah, and your son is really mature and it speaks volumes to the kind of mum you are 🥰

[@qiaoxinteh163]

Super mature son, shows alot about the mum. Random stranger but I’m proud of you mum!! It really isn’t easy, hope they can do a part 2 about her work with the halfway house women

[@pristymo]

Such a courageous interview. Bravo to mum and son

[@ohitsdarren]

So proud of her, coming such a long way and raised her son so well! 🥹

[@youcanthandlethetruth1]

this was really beautiful to watch

[@raosei6496]

Eh, I would think that pregnant prisoners would be treated better even if just for the sake of the baby's health. The long intervals between meals honestly sound concerning since they should be eating more regularly for the baby to come out healthy...

[@cnaizhen]

Depends on how you see it. From a humanitarian point of view, pregnant women should be treated better. But on the flip side of the coin, one can argue that it is not "fair" to other prisoners, or that being pregnant doesn't excuse one from receiving the due punishment. My guess is that the approach taken then was to give the bare minimum support to the pregnancy. And it does sound that the circumstances have improved based on what this lady implied in her word.

[@skyla2258]

Thank you for sharing :) *hugs*

[@Lala_lalacllll]

Such a beautiful family ❤

[@noname-kh3fz]

The law is causing her more harm than from the drugs itself. The government needs to look into the psychology behind drug consumption and see what drives this behavior instead of criminalizing it so harshly.

[@pllin240]

thank you for sharing🙏 all the best always ❤️

[@sharayutravels]

I think empathy matters. We forget everyone deals with things differently and nay or may not have support. Kudos to the lady and her son.

[@Lily-mf7zn]

I personally think addiction is neither a disease or a moral issue. People either try drugs out of curiosity or seeking some form of solace.

[@Abbylo8731]

A story of strength and courage. Bless.

[@amememelia]

❤ couldn’t hold back my tears when he said he’s proud of his mom :)

[@quetidelapuente9524]

Yeah, brave young lady 👍👏!! Thanks for sharing, from PERU

[@kaffir76]

Sending love & Hugs to you both ❤❤

[@joykitten89]

Only the best wishes fer you, Hannah. You are amazing 💜

[@dk-hv1nz]

Hannah is really a fighter. Given the circumstances, many will still be stuck in the vicious drug cycle.

[@maeganong3630]

Hannah, stay strong! :) learn from your past and live in the present!

[@EGWL93]

The no nonsense of drug laws in Singapore does help a lot to prevent druggies walking on streets, but often seasoned drug addicts will always falls back to old habits. Luckily for Hannah, her son change her way and now she's becoming a better person. With the understanding of drug issues today, we are moving forward to help individuals; to understand why they took drugs and how we can help them once they're out of the DRC. How I wish that was introduced way back so Hannah would not be living with fear or hopelessness. Continue to do good and be the role model of many individuals whom are going through the hardship, and also towards your son, all the best Hannah!

[@thorsten13999]

but alcoholic and tobacca nonsense is tolerated...

[@leavmealonee_]

i first encountered her story in an article by salt&light. honestly praise the lord for his intervention in hannah's life. may god continue to bless her and her family :)

[@janicechen595]

She speaks very well!

[@hatchegg80]

hey, paid her debt to society, moved on, good for her, best wishes to her and her son, looks like a good kid

[@carlsmayyy]

She is not a bad person, at all. It was a coping mechanism at a very young age where she is not able to differentiate what’s right and wrong. Hence with the second chance, like the existence of her son, it gave her the opportunity to live right again and not lead both of them back to square 1. Extremely proud of where they’ve come

[@athirahaniza6550]

Definitely a great sharing❤ a cute family also. 😊

[@nt6253]

She seems to be a better mother than some "normal" parents. I have a friend who make her own mum take care of her daughter while she spent her week days nights going to gym and socializing with her friend.

[@lydiat5819]

Girls, if you are pregnant at a young age, you may feel afraid but years later, you will realize that you are rewarded with a wonderful being called your daughter/son. It really is a blessing, though it is hard in the initial years. Look at them now, such a wonderful son-mother team taking care of each other.

[@doggiebaby5646]

Proud of her. She is strong 💪 woman

[@poldylove4855]

sending love to the mom and son ❤❤

[@brandon_den]

Addiction is a disease, it is not a moral issue. The sooner the government of Singapore sees it as such, and considers ways to treat addiction, will the issue of addiction be better addressed instead of simply relying on the threat of imprisonment and death penalty, which does not effectively address the root causes of addiction.

[@Pvet91]

Singapore treats drug addicts very differently from drug traffickers. Drug addicts have lighter sentence(in comparison to traffickers), rehabilitation choices for addicts BEFORE they get caught with drugs, Singapore prison also gives millions to non profit organizations who help drug addicts quit. Drug traffickers are the ones who faces death.

[@lindc1070]

There is plenty of support for those who wanted to get treated .But we cant afford to tolerate those who dont want to change. They are a danger to society as they commit crimes to feed their addiction.

[@beanoyip06]

You mean like having safe injection rooms in Australia? Was the addiction to drugs in Australia solved? No, because the justice system isn’t tough on them.

[@kianleemy]

Easy, don't try it in the first place then there is no addiction. Full support for zero drug tolerance.

[@maxxchiam]

Keep it up. Everybody makes mistakes. God bless you all

[@noname-kh3fz]

When there is a drug problem that must be treated, treatment programs for drug use can encourage people to remain a productive member of society. When drug use is penalized with criminal statutes, it becomes more difficult for individuals who take drugs to find meaningful employment. It is much easier to find a job when there isn’t a felony on your record due to your possession of a drug that was deemed to be illegal.

[@erikerik547]

Hannah, u r doing great👍💯💐

[@auxiliasequeira8648]

Love n prayers

[@MisterMacabre12]

I feel so sorry and bad for babies that have to be given birth in prisons, imagine saying your place of birth was in a prison and it must very hard being raised in prison as a baby than an actual home.

[@lucylee3743]

❤❤❤ I heard of half ways house from my cell leader.. good work ❤

[@erictayverystrongimaginati1662]

Brave heart 👍

[@glorytruthlove]

Very painful experience for a mother not easy

[@janeloh2952]

加油Hannah

[@noname-kh3fz]

People pursue drugs in secret because they don’t want to be caught. What gets overlooked is the fact that people also pursue drugs in secret because they are ashamed of their addiction. Their habits bring guilt. When the legality of their addiction places their freedom at risk, there is a barrier in place to seek the help they may recognize is needed. Decriminalizing drugs reduces the stigma, which eliminates this barrier, allowing people to have more control over their life once again.

[@user-vz3um8ve4w]

I get the protocols and stuff but having your legs cuffed while in labor.. i mean when a woman in that kind of pain and vulnerable state already wouldn’t they have enough weighing on them to um, not escape or do sth crazy? Why not just for that period of bringing a human into the world treat them like another human being first and then they can revert to their prisoner status afterwards lol I don’t mean for the whole pregnancy but just labor and giving birth itself come on isn’t it like so crazy tough on her body already? Can someone explain

[@malibumondsg74]

If she is standing in queue for lunch at Shenton Way, you wouldn’t thought how gangster this woman was before…

[@88ETan]

Off topic, but she looks so young for her age tho. Hanna you come a long way, wishing you a happy life

[@MrDaddycharles]

Hannah jiayou! 💪💪

[@noname-kh3fz]

When drug use is illegal, a counter-culture arises that celebrates and encourages its use. When it is legalized, that counter-culture begins to disappear. Non-drug users aren’t as quick to condemn others. Addiction can be treated more like a disease instead of being treated like a legal problem. People become people once again without different classes of superiority assigned by the general population to what drugs people use or why they use them.

[@noname-kh3fz]

Drugs may have had a war against them, but it is alcohol that is the primary problem in society today. In 2007, there were 5.2 million violent victimization incidents registered by the National Crime Victimization Survey involving people 12 years of age or older. 1 in 4 victims stated that their attacker was under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol is believed to be a factor in 40% of all violence crimes today, according to data published by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

[@hankoh8]

It sounds like some important parts of her sharing had been censored. Example like she mentioned there was a “miracle” but it wasn’t elaborated.

[@bbtan]

you missed out the part where she shared that the drug went out of stock for a month and she didnt experience withdrawal symptoms. That was the miracle.

[@ccaamille_]

Hamster 😭😭😭😭😭

[@roshanbaby1]

Thanks Hannah. Good that you let us know about Singapore prison. Come on la,we understand death sentence inmates are dangerous according to your rules,even preggy women?wth!!please la,at least have some humanity.Dont put me in jail for this ok🤓

[@veo16]

Addicts need to be rehabilitated and supported, not criminalized. In a century or so, our descendants will laugh at how outdated our laws were.

[@isabellewong9316]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@RonaldoKME]

Hopefully the son won’t use any jail related stuff to attack his mom when coming into arguments. 🙏🙏🙏

[@wvdivwvrdhy341]

Its common nowadays.

[@reubanvasu8417]

❤❤

[@MyHanck]

Without law gospel preaching, we can’t hear the promise.

[@char2304]

Consequences 👍 Don't do drugs in the first place

[@anushaannathurai]

🤍

[@jessicaregina1956]

None of your goddamn business!

[@AvadaKedavraSpell69]

Sien la

[@leohadid9652]

I would love to know more about her Hebrew tattoo! is she Jewish? connected in any way?

[@ratedchamp1]

How can a Chinese Asian be Jewish dear , my Chinese brother has a Hindu tattoo when he taught it was cool , does not mean he is Hindu or Indian

[@RonLarhz]

Inhumane prison. Barbaric. Pregnant, disabled, mentally disabled should have appropriate assistance.

[@user-to6wu9fr6v]

The stupid drug laws in sg are doing more harm than good. The government is clearly out of touch with reality, they should also consider how criminalization affects those who were caught and their families.

[@bjornhangslen8445]

Please edit out all the "ya"s