Thousands of newborns with conditions that make them unique are born every day all over the world. Naturally, every baby is lovely, and they are all deserving of love, care, and attention.
Unfortunately, not everybody is aware of this. Amazingly, some parents even consider abandoning or disowning their kids if, upon their arrival, they don’t meet their critical standards.
Many kids with Down syndrome are still born into uncertainty due to persistent prejudice surrounding the illness, even in this age of understanding and reason.
While parenting his son Misha, who has Down syndrome, on his own, a Russian father is working to eradicate any stigma associated with the disease.
A doctor told Evgeny and his wife, “I fear that your baby has Down syndrome,” just one minute and forty-nine seconds after their son was born.
“I didn’t know what to do when I learned that my son might have Down syndrome,” the father stated. I felt that my wife would have a harder time of it, so I thought my job was to assist her and block off feelings and ideas.
“We were promised the analysis results in a few days, so I decided not to say anything to her until then.”
“I had two limbs and two legs, and my professional knowledge had not decreased at all. I had everything on my side, including my drive, activity, curiosity, and so forth. Everything went according to plan, and my kid was born. However, the infant is unique, and his life and future have great significance already. And I’m howling right now! There’s a selfishness to this! Is this not equitable? No, I am accountable for it. It’s evident that the likelihood of you undergoing an amniocentesis was low, but yet. You took on parental duty because you want a child. Ultimately, there exist numerous alternatives: autism, cerebral palsy, genetic abnormalities, etc. And as I discovered afterwards, down syndrome is not the worst.
That same evening, Evgeny started looking into Down syndrome.
He said, “I discovered that individuals with Down syndrome can live and work independently in Europe and are well-socialized.” “But that didn’t change the decision I had already made.”
He declared, “It would be inhumane to leave my son in an orphanage at any point in time.” After their eventual divorce, Evengy is now raising Misha by himself.
“When a child is born, he asks the outside world, ‘Am I needed here or not?’” he explained. And I firmly respond, “Son, you are needed!” For a normal man, being around him—even when we’re alone—is just normal. I must stress that I am a regular man, not a superhero.
Evegny wants to spread knowledge about Down syndrome so that no prospective parent would think having a kid with the disorder is a punishment or an impediment that cannot be surmounted.
“I want all the articles about Mishka and me that are being published now to convey and instill that idea to society,” he said to Bored Panda. In addition, I want to encourage and uplift individuals who are or will be in similar circumstances as me by setting an example. I make an effort to get in touch with people who are nearby and send letters to those who live far away. I hope people who are struggling right now, as we were, learn about us. Be fearless! Everything will work out OK.
I am not sure about you, but I believe that individuals such as Evegny deserve immense praise. How fortunate Misha is to have him as a son; what an inspirational man he is.