She was illiterate, homeless and pregnant at 16. Then one kind man changed her life.

He’s a young, handsome track star and student with the world at his feet. But when he got a call from his desperate cousin, he decided to take on a new role.

Tommy Connolly was your average university student on the Sunshine Coast when his estranged 17-year-old cousin contacted him and asked for help.

The teenaged girl was pregnant and homeless, her parents were addicted to heroin and the father of her unborn child was in prison. Tommy, 23, was the only relative she knew of in the state, even though she hadn’t seen him in 10 years.

Mr Connolly said he didn’t think twice before taking in his cousin, and becoming the girl’s guardian.

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“I became the legal foster parent for her to make sure she’d keep the baby, stay off the streets and have a better life,” he wrote on Facebook.

“I’ve spent the last few months working, moving houses, having meetings with different departments, signing forms, being assessed and monitored, chasing funds, setting up her bank accounts, buying baby stuff, furniture, going to hospital/doctor appointments, and getting her settled in.”

Now, the girl has given birth to a healthy baby boy, Kaydan — and Mr Connolly’s brother Liam has set up a crowd funding page to help raise costs to support the family.

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“I set this page up to give Tommy the kick start that he needs and to try and give this little baby boy the life that his mum never had,” he writes on the GoFundMe page.

“Tommy has stepped in and broken the cycle single handedly but the road ahead will be difficult emotionally and financially. If this campaign reaches its target all funds will go directly to Tommy enabling him to provide for himself, our little cousin and her baby.”

The family is thrilled with the support and Tommy continues to update his Facebook with messages of thanks and news on the healthy mum and bub.

“Thank you so much to everybody who has been contacting me and my cousin… We’re extremely grateful for all the kind messages and we really appreciate each and every person reaching out to us and offering support. Thanks again!”

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