Jenelle Evans has shared a heartfelt tribute to her son Jace as he celebrated his 17th birthday.
The former Teen Mom star posted a carousel of throwback photos on Instagram on August 2, opening her caption: “I HAVE A 17 YEAR OLD!”
Jenelle, 34, went on to acknowledge the challenges of adolescence while praising Jace, whom she shares with ex Andrew Lewis.
“Being a teenager can be hard, but you seem to handle it well,” she wrote. “You’re so smart, curious about life, and handsome. Hope today is everything you’ve wanted and more! I love you @jace_vahn.”
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Jenelle Evans previously shared an update on Jace
The birthday tribute follows a difficult period for the family. Jenelle’s representative confirmed in March that Jace had entered a treatment centre after an alleged serious incident involving his grandmother and a gun in February.
Speaking on the La Femme Talk podcast in April, Jenelle addressed her relative silence online and said she had been arranging support for her son away from public view.
“I’ve been very quiet online but behind the scenes I’ve been actually getting help for my son and he’s in a safe place [with] a holistical [sic] approach and he’s very happy right now,” she said at the time.
Jenelle added that Jace was “very focused on himself”, describing that as “the most important thing”.
Jenelle asked followers to give her family space
The reality star had also addressed the situation in a TikTok video in March. She told followers that she was acting in her child’s best interests but did not intend to share every detail publicly.
“With all due respect, including my family, please just back off a little bit,” she said. “Let us breathe.”
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Jenelle is also mum to son Kaiser, 12, whom she shares with ex Nathan Griffith, and daughter Ensley, nine, from her marriage to ex-husband David Eason.
Her latest post kept the focus firmly on Jace’s birthday, celebrating his personality and marking the milestone with memories from over the years.