Leah has been sharply criticized for her parenting mistakes in the past. Everyone has thought she's been doing better recently, but now she is back in hot water!
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
On 16 and Pregnant, fans were introduced to Leah Messer and her high school sweetheart, Corey Simms, the father of twins Aleeah Grace and Aliannah Hope.
After their divorce, Leah began dating Jeremy Calvert, the father of her third child, Adalynn Faith. She married Jeremy in April of 2012 and it quickly began to fall apart. The couple divorced in June of 2015.
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: reddit / ChristinaCBasicBitch
For a long time after the divorce, Leah was raising her kids as a single mother. She recently stunned fans by confirming that she hooked up with Jeremy during this time!
Lately, Leah has shown off her new boyfriend. He is 39 years old, 13 years Leah’s senior, and shocked the Internet with a prior bankruptcy and alarming videos where he openly discusses drug use.
Though Leah faces incredible challenges raising three daughters, one of whom is disabled, she still faces intense criticism for her parenting decisions, large and small.
Fans were outraged after Leah shared a Snapchat of Aleeah and Ali with full acrylic nails from a salon with the caption, “I’m doomed.”
On reddit, MommyOfOnee argued, “I personally think this is way too young for those. They f*ck your real nails up for a long time and they’re expensive to maintain.”
Credit: Snapchat @leah92dawnmtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
“Why didn’t she just let them get press on nails? That’s easy enough,” questioned ghsted.
User tiais0107 lamented “I had [acrylic nails] over a decade ago and my nail bed is still damaged.”
Trips to the beauty salon are the least of fans’ concerns though. Many think that her inability to say “no” is even putting Ali’s life at risk!
When Leah’s twin daughters were less than a year old, she began to notice something different about the way her daughter, Ali, was developing. She came to realize that Ali had a condition affecting her growth.
Ali was soon diagnosed with Titin muscular dystrophy, a rare form of the disorder that had never been seen before in a child so young. Even though Leah was heartbroken about her condition, she’s managed to stay strong and maintain hope with her daughter.
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Since her diagnosis, Leah has handled her daughter’s illness in front of the cameras. Sometimes though, the worst parts don’t make it on-screen.
As Ali gets older, she and Leah reveal the new challenges and changing needs of her condition. In the last season of Teen Mom 2, we’ve watched heartbreaking moments of Leah explaining to Ali that she needs to use her helmet and wheelchair and that these differences make her strong.
Leah has frequently shared pictures of Aleeah’s cheer tournaments without controversy. However, Leah shared a picture of Ali that has fans divided.
Leah posted a picture of Ali competing with her special needs cheer team. They do routines with Aleeah’s team as well. In the picture, Ali is a flyer, meaning that the young girls are responsible for holding her up and keeping her safe. Even though Ali is enjoying herself, fans were outraged by Leah’s choice.
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
In the picture, Ali is a flyer, meaning that the young girls are responsible for holding her up and keeping her safe. Even though Ali is enjoying herself, fans were outraged by Leah’s choice.
“The doctors have been saying for years that Ali shouldn’t be on her feet and doing strenuous activity – and yet she’s involved in cheering and softball,” wrote reddit user Stabbymctits.
They continued, “I’m glad that those [activities] give Ali a chance to feel normal and happy, but they’re going to destroy her muscles. I’m not an expert obviously, this is just based on what Leah’s been told for YEARS.”
“Why is Ali a flyer?” asked kelseyxiv. “Good lord that’s like the most dangerous position for her … Just the way she has to be held and caught could hurt her.”
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
“It doesn’t look like she’s very secure and that worries me. If they dropped her imagine how devastated everyone would be?” user spookyookydoo pointed out. “Leah needs to try making the helmet ‘cool’ and using her wheelchair ‘cool’ as much as she makes cheer ‘cool’… Listen to the d*mn doctors and help her maintain as much of her muscle as she can! There are sports she can be in and be in her wheelchair, which I think would be pretty d*mn cool!”
User keridactyl defended Leah, writing: “Ali’s projected lifespan isn’t long and at some point she will be wheelchair-bound for life. Leah may not be handling it the way you think she should, but… It is a valid choice for Leah to cater to Ali’s wishes and let her be happy in the moment, even if it’s not the best choice medically or the choice that you would make.”
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Snapchat @leah92dawnmtv
User allthatryry agreed, “It’s a 2.5 minute routine. She obviously has the strength enough to last, and glasses off during a routine is common. You see a few minutes of doctor appts every once in a while, you don’t know all of her situation.”
Leah has often posted about how proud she is of her daughter and her strength facing her diagnosis. In order to best treat her muscular dystrophy, Ali has had to undergo years of testing. That included an overnight stay in the hospital.
“She’s so over these tests,” Leah captioned a shot of Ali on the way to the hospital. “Bless her heart, My baby is soooo tired.”
Still, Ali stayed strong when they arrived at the hospital, even smiling for a picture. “I wouldn’t change you for the world, but I would change the world for you!” Leah captioned the photo, adding, “#hope #love #mdwontstopher #mommyandme #mygirl #myworld #mybestfriend.”
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Leah later shared a picture of Ali settling in for the night. “Sleeppy baby,” she wrote as Ali got her much-deserved rest away from home.
It’s safe to assume that Ali wasn’t particularly excited about it, but she was staying strong.
Leah took to Twitter to share more hope about her daughter. “You’re a fighter and your strength is admirable!” she wrote. “You’re MY INSPIRATION, MY MOTIVATION, MY WORLD!”
After everything was finished, Leah shared a video of Ali excitedly leaving the hospital. Finally, she was done! Leah shared another picture of them together, writing, “I’ve always got you! #mdwontstopher #igotu #myworld #mybabygirl #musculardystrophy #mdaawareness.”
In a heartbreaking peek into their daily struggles, Leah tweeted, “As I’m doing Ali girl’s makeup she looks at me and says. ‘Mom, what’s it like to see with two eyes?’” before adding a crying emoji.
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
It became clear that Leah has put on a brave face for many of viewers, many of whom had never realized the effects of Ali’s diagnosis.
Even dedicated Teen Mom fans were shocked to learn that Ali cannot see out of both eyes. “I didn’t know she couldn’t see with two eyes,” wrote reddit user ToriR90. “I knew she wore glasses but I didn’t know her vision was that bad. How sad.”
Leah continues to surprise fans by sharing Ali’s complications. On their trip to Hawaii, Leah opened up to Kailyn Lowry about the struggles of raising a child with a chronic illness. In an emotional seaside chat, Leah revealed, “Ali has had a lot of trouble recently. Her challenges are more visible than they have been before.”
Credit: MTV
Credit: MTV
Credit: MTV
“I actually caught myself back there saying ‘Ali and Aleeah would be out there surfing’ and I was like [makes face]. I about cried a little bit but things like that,” she confessed. Leah tries to stay positive, reminding herself, “Then I’m like, ‘No, she’ll be cheering for her sister.’ You know? It’s okay.”
However, it has been more difficult lately. Leah shares, “She’s been getting really really tired, needing her wheelchair more.” Leah points out the bright side, “Ali really likes her aide at school. I really like her aide. I just feel like she always looks out for Ali’s best interest.”
After worrying about Ali from Hawaii, Leah is thrilled to return home in last week’s episode. In the car with her girls, Leah shares that Ali lost her aide despite the help that it has given her in the classroom.
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92mtv
“The principal just told me that they’re dropping Ali’s aide. For no reason whatsoever,” Leah divulges. Gracie asks what that means and Leah responds, “It means she won’t have the aide anymore.”
“It’s the school district’s fault,” Leah explains. “They don’t wanna pay for Ali to have an aide.”
She steps out of the car because “the girls are picking up” on her energy.
She rants to her producer, “There was a meeting that established that Ali needed an aide…She wouldn’t be able to function and learn if it wasn’t for the aide.”
On reddit, FridasFlowers39 wrote, “On this weeks episode I thought it was very inappropriate to discuss the issue of Ali’s aide with the girlses [sic] in the car.” They point out, “Even Gracie who often appears bored of Leah’s platitudes and therapy talk seemed concerned.”
Credit: MTV
Credit: MTV
“I think it would’ve been a little better if she didn’t present it to them while she was emotionally wound up,” stbrewer78 agreed, but maintained, “I don’t think she was wrong to discuss it.”
Gettys63 thought, “It was concerning how [Ali] kept looking toward Leah and Corey while they were outside talking...I think it should have been handled differently.”
“I don't think she was inappropriate…She even pulled over to talk to her producer and stated she felt the girls started picking up on her negative energy,” Stephacrazy defended. “I think it's just a parenting choice.”
Ali later updates Corey, who is equally horrified to hear the news. He points out that the aide is mandated in her Individualized Education Program, which the school creates to accommodate children with special education needs. It is especially alarming that the school would take extra help away from Ali when it seems like she really needs it.
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Source: Instagram @kaillowry
Leah revealed to Kailyn, “Kids have been making fun of Ali at school to Aleeah."
Kailyn is shocked. “Really?” she asks.
Leah explains that kids have mimicked Ali, telling Aleeah, “Your sister walks like this.” She continues, “And Aleeah, she got angry, punched her book, went to the bathroom and was crying…I think Aleeah is having a hard time understanding what’s going on. Because Ali does need a lot of our attention so she’s being mean to Ali.”
Kailyn asks, “Does Ali tell Aleeah how she is feeling? And that’s she’s tired and stuff?”
“Yea,” Leah answers, “But then Aleeah is like ‘Oh, you’re just making that up’ and then we have to kind of correct her and then we feel bad because she feels like she’s getting in trouble so it’s really hard. I mean it’s hard.”
Source: Instagram @leahdawn92
Credit: MTV
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