Cindy Cunningham's Teenage Pregnancy was a storyline that ran from May 1997 to April 1998, following Cindy Cunningham who fell pregnant after a one-night-stand on her 16th birthday.
Storyline[]
Pregnancy[]
Cindy contemplates falling down the stairs.
Cindy was a slightly troublesome teenager, often bending the rules and pushing people to the limits. On her 16th birthday in May 1997, Cindy slept with Lee Stanley. Later discovering that she was pregnant, Cindy attempted to tell her mother Angela, but Angela was too busy with Jude Cunningham's alcoholism and the aftermath of Terry Williams's con to talk with Cindy about her problems. Cindy instead decided to keep her pregnancy secret.
Cindy initially planned to have an abortion, but couldn't go through with it. Instead deciding to try cause a miscarriage, Cindy threw herself down a flight of stairs, but she and the baby survived. Realising that she was likely to have the baby, she told Stan of her pregnancy. Although Stan was supportive, Cindy coldly rejected Stan. Stan got drunk and was involved in a car accident, dying in hospital.
Birth[]
Cindy goes into labour in Got It Taped.
Cindy's pregnancy was nearly revealed when Dawn Cunningham was diagnosed with leukemia and the family were tested for their eligibility for a bone marrow transplant. Cindy refused to be tested, fearing that the tests would show that she was pregnant. She later gave birth on Christmas Day, in secret in the back room of Got It Taped. After giving birth to the baby, Cindy abandoned her outside of a fire station. The baby was taken to hospital and named Holly, with the discovery reaching headlines in The Chester Herald.
At Dawn's funeral, Cindy fell ill and collapsed, with a doctor informing the Cunninghams that Cindy had developed an infection from giving birth. The family realised that baby "Holly" was Cindy's baby, so Cindy's father Gordon collected Holly and brought her home.
Struggle with Parenthood[]
Cindy attempts to suffocate Holly with a cushion.
Cindy struggled as she was forced into motherhood, unable to bond with Holly. Cindy began leaving the baby with anyone she could, even her fifteen-year-old brother Max Cunningham. A furious Angela forced Cindy to take care of the baby, but Cindy struggled to cope with Holly's crying and attempted to suffocate her with a cushion. Jude interrupted, stopping Cindy and taking Holly to hospital. Cindy then realised that she couldn't lose Holly and began looking after her.