The mom wants to give her baby, who has Down syndrome, to foster care. So, the dad decides he’ll take care of the baby all by himself.
Every day, lots of babies are born all over the world with conditions that make them different. But every baby is special and deserves love, care, and attention, no matter what.
Sadly, some people don’t understand this. They might even want to give up or stop caring for their baby if they don’t think the baby is perfect.
Even though we live in a time when we should know better, many babies with Down syndrome still face uncertainty because of people’s unfair beliefs about the condition.
But one dad in Russia is trying to change that. He’s raising his son, Misha, who has Down syndrome, all by himself. He wants to get rid of the stigma around Down syndrome and show that every child is precious and deserves love.
According to reports, Evgeny Anisimov, who is 33 years old, wants to show everyone that children with Down syndrome deserve love and acceptance just like any other child. He’s taking care of his son, Misha, all by himself because his wife left when she found out their son had Down syndrome.
Evgeny and his wife found out about Misha’s condition just after he was born, when a doctor said, “I fear that your baby has Down Syndrome.”
Evgeny talked to Bored Panda and said, “When I found out that my son might have Down Syndrome, I didn’t know what to do. I thought my job was to stay strong, support my wife, and wait for the test results before saying anything to her.”
He said, “When I found out my son had Down Syndrome, I cried when I left the hospital, but not for long. Later, I felt a bit embarrassed about those tears. Nothing really changed in my life.
“I still had both arms, both legs, and I still had all my knowledge and skills. I was still determined, curious, and active. Everything went according to plan; my son was born. But he’s special, and his life and future are really important. And here I am, crying! That’s selfish, isn’t it? It’s not fair. No, it’s my responsibility. I didn’t get an amniocentesis — I knew the chances were low, but still. I wanted a child, so I have to take responsibility for him. There are many possibilities: autism, cerebral palsy, genetic mutations… And Down Syndrome isn’t the worst, as I later found out.”
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That very same night, Evgeny started learning about Down syndrome.
“I found out that in Europe, people with Down Syndrome are well taken care of. They can live and work on their own,” he said. “But that didn’t change my decision.”
For Evgeny, leaving his son was never an option. But sadly, his wife didn’t feel the same way.
“I never even thought about putting my son in an orphanage. That would be really cruel,” he said. Eventually, he and his wife separated, and now Evgeny raises Misha by himself.
“When a child is born, they wonder if they’re wanted in this world. And I tell my son, ‘Yes, you are wanted!’ Taking care of him, even on my own, is something any normal person would do. I want to make it clear—I’m just a regular guy, not some kind of hero.”
