Amani Lao and Sera Lilly Lao with their children (from left) Amalia, Kingston, Luella and Stella-Kate.
Sera Lilly says being told she was going to have a baby at 16 was one of the scariest moments of her life.
But the former fashion designer considers herself lucky that even though the father of her daughter walked out on her, family and friends rallied to her side.
"I was 16 and nearly 17 ... and it was gossip through the private school grapevine. It was a really tough time for me," she said.
"I knew that I would be a single parent. I was always like: 'This is me and her'. It was never going to be me, her and him. I knew I needed to make that decision for me - that I was going to be a teenage parent."
Now 30 years old, she is mum to Stella-Kate, 12, Kingston, 7, Luella, 5 and 2-year-old Amalia and has become a fitness guru to have a healthier lifestyle and encourage women on her Fat 2 Fit NZ website.
