RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Jasmine Arquette, right, and Gary Badis hold 5-month-old Hailey Badis- Arquette outside their baby-sitter's home in Kapolei. CLICK FOR LARGE

Teen parents exhaust resources to raise child

A teenage couple in Ewa Beach who are new parents of a baby girl are struggling to keep their young family together without a home or car of their own.

Jasmine Arquette, 17, and Gary Badis, Jr., 19, had daughter Hailey five months ago against the wishes of her family. But they both have full-time jobs, to support themselves as much as possible, Arquette said.

Their car broke down months ago and they can't afford to fix it, so they have to go through the grind of catching four buses just to get to work and back home again. "It's really tiring," she said.

During the holiday season, the Star-Bulletin's annual Good Neighbor Fund tries to help families like Arquette's in conjunction with Helping Hands Hawaii. The fund collects monetary donations for its Community Clearinghouse and the Adopt-A-Family programs; material goods are also welcome.

They couple also has to drop off and pick up their daughter, Hailey Arquette-Badis, at the baby-sitter's house in Kapolei in between bus stops.

At least the couple works for the same company at Campbell Industrial Park, and can be together for the long journey. The bus rides take an hour and a half, beginning at 6 a.m. They start work at 7:30 a.m., then take the same route back home after work at 5 p.m.

Baby-sitter Ann Piamonte, who is their "hanai aunty," said, "They are my troupers , and I am very proud of them. I am willing to help them and give them a chance, as long as they are trying to move forward in their lives. That is what family is for."

Piamonte said she wants to help because "they're awfully young and they're doing a lot more than some adults. ... They have shown maturity beyond their age and have dealt with every issue that comes their way.

"They are proving to themselves that they can do it, and to everyone else."

Arquette said she and Badis are under constant stress. They have no privacy, residing since April in the living room of her grandparents' house, which is also full of other relatives.

"We're always fighting because we don't live by ourselves, and we're stressed that we can't really help out with the rent," Arquette said.

Her grandmother, weakened by a stroke, "wants to make sure we're really taken care of (under her roof)" rather than taking their money for rent, she added. The couple spends money on necessities, including medical insurance, and they save whatever they can for their baby's future.

Arquette said she doesn't mean to complain: "At least we have a roof over our head, food and a shower."

For Christmas, "we don't need anything, as long as the baby's taken care of and has food and clothes." That's the important thing, she said.

"The angel in all of this (Hailey)... needs an asthma machine," Piamonte said. "The parents cannot afford to buy one so they are renting it for $16 a week."

Monetary gifts may be sent to:

Honolulu Star-Bulletin's
Good Neighbor Fund
c/o Helping Hands Hawaii
P.O. Box 17780
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-0780

Clothing, household items and gifts can be donated at the Community Clearinghouse, 2100 Nimitz Highway.

You may also participate in the Adopt-A-Family program, in which businesses, employee groups, social clubs, families or individuals can help a specific family.

Call 440-3804 for information about the program or to arrange for pickup of large items.