Father decided to raise child with Down Syndrome on his own after mom abandoned them
Seeing your newborn baby is one of the happiest moments one could ever have. As for Evgeny Anisimov, he indeed became the happiest man when his son, Misha, was born.
But all the excitement and happiness flew out of the window when the doctor told him that his baby has Down Syndrome. In an interview with Bored Panda, the 33-year-old recalled leaving the hospital as he broke into tears.
“In my life, after all, nothing had changed, in general. I was still with two arms, with two legs, my professional knowledge had gone nowhere. My determination, activity, curiosity, and so on—everything was with me. Everything happened as I planned, my son was born. But the child is special, his life and future destiny are already very significant,”
Evgeny felt embarrassed by this as he realized that he was being selfish and understood that this child was his responsibility. Even more so when Misha’s mom couldn’t handle the diagnosis and left them as she felt that it was too much to handle.
“I remember that upon learning that my son has Down Syndrome, I left the hospital and cried, but not for long. Later, I was a little embarrassed by these tears. In my life, after all, nothing had changed, in general. I was still with two arms, with two legs, my professional knowledge had gone nowhere. Everything happened as I planned, my son was born. But the child is special, his life and future destiny are already very significant.”
He of course tried to convince his wife to stay, as prior to this their relationship was strong and in good standing. As soon as he learned that she wants to put up Misha in foster care, Evgeny consoled her to overcome the situation together. Unfortunately, she chose to leave.
“When I made the decision, I had not yet thought about the likelihood of an optimistic scenario. I thought: well, he’s going to enjoy the sunrise, I’m going to take him out to barbecue, he’s going to live his life. Yes, maybe he seems unhappy to someone, but he will have his own life. At no time did I think of leaving my son in an orphanage, that would be inhumane.”
“When a child is born, he asks the outside world: ‘Am I needed here or not?’ And I answer with certainty: ‘Son, you are needed!’ Being with him, even alone, is a normal act for a normal man. I emphasize—I am a normal man, not some kind of hero.”
“Misha has been attending swimming lessons every week since he was 5 months old. It’s expensive, but a lot of people help us. We’ve also started speech therapy. I understand that the future might bring more issues, but I hope that we will be able to overcome everything.”
“I want all the articles about Mishka and me that are being published now to convey that idea to society and instill it. And I also want to support, inspire with my example those people who are or will be in the same situation as me. I try to communicate with those who are within reach, I correspond with those who are far away. I hope that those who have difficulties now, as it was for us, read about us. Have no fear! Everything will be fine!”
Source: Bored Panda