Photograph by Jude Edginton.
19 year-old Stuart from Wiltshire only realised his girlfriend was pregnant after she visited the doctor complaining of feeling uncomfortable. The doctor told her she was six months pregnant, and three months later his daughter was born. The 16 year-old couple had nowhere to live, and were staying with friends and family; a month after the birth, Stuart, unable to handle the sudden pressure, ran away. Four months later he was imprisoned for petty crimes, and it was while there he refocused his life. "It was the slap in the face I needed," he told Jude. He returned to his family and they now have their own home. Stuart is at college and the couple are expecting another child.
If you are, or were, a teenage father and would like to be photographed by Jude for this exhibition, go to
Imthedaddynow.com for more information. To see more of Jude's work and for info about the exhibition, check
Judeedginton.com.