A child’s birth is one of the most beautiful things that can happen to a married couple. This was the case for Evgeny Anisimov and his wife. They have always wanted a child, and when little Misha was born, it was the happiest day of their lives. That is until the bad news was delivered.
As it turns out, their son had Down syndrome. The news broke both their hearts. Evgeny’s wife had a very difficult time processing the information and became quite pessimistic about raising their child. She wanted to give him away to foster care.
Evgeny, though troubled, disagreed with her suggestion. He was firm in his decision to take care of their son despite his diagnosis.
Source: via Instagram
He even went as far as saying that sending their child to foster care was “inhumane.”
No matter how others see it, Misha was still his son and deserved the same degree of love and care as any other baby in the world. Evgeny knew that it was the most natural and humane thing to do.
Source: via Instagram
Misha’s special condition didn’t stop him from fulfilling his duties as a father. Evgeny saw him as his son—someone worthy of a parent’s true love and nothing less.
Evgeny’s first step was to understand more about Down syndrome.
Raising a child with this condition has its unique challenges and joys. Right from the start, Evgeny was determined to help Misha and give him what he truly needs.
Source: via Instagram
Down syndrome is a condition in which a child is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. This poses both mental and physical challenges for the baby. There is no cure for this genetic disorder. The only way for the child to live a normal life is to be guided and supported unconditionally.
Their ways of learning and overall development may be delayed, but children born with Down syndrome can generally grow up to be independent. Just as with any other kid, this will be determined by the child’s family, environment, and social and cultural factors.
Even though Misha’s condition may make him prone to attention and judgment, his dad will be there to stand up for him.
Source: via Instagram
Evgeny has also become an advocate for raising awareness about Down syndrome. Through his social media profiles, he shares glimpses from his daily life raising Misha to show how precious these children are.
He wants these posts to serve as an eye-opener for parents who might be struggling or doubtful about raising a kid with such a condition. He wants to convey that these precious children deserve to be raised in a caring home and not be abandoned.
His appearance might be different from ours, but he is also human. He feels happiness and love like everybody else.
Source: via Instagram
Evgeny says in a BoredPanda article:
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!
At his young age, Misha probably doesn’t even know that he is different from other kids. But even when that time comes, his dad will surely know how to make everyone love Misha as much as he does.
Some things are hard to accept right away. Evgeny had cried in embarrassment when he first learned that Misha had Down syndrome.
But as he came to his senses, he realized that he has nothing to be embarrassed about. No parent should feel humiliated by their own child. It wasn’t his fault, nor anybody else’s.
Source: via Instagram
It wasn’t the end of the world for him and definitely not for Misha. Evgeny reminded himself that he still had all his arms and legs, a steady job, and a child to care for. What more could he ask for?
In the process of educating himself about Down syndrome, he became even more convinced that he had nothing to worry about Misha.
This kid will grow up and be a valued member of society despite the difficulty that his condition can bring.
Some people may think that he will live a deprived life, but as long as he is happy and peaceful, nothing else matters.
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.
For every 1000 children, there is one who is affected by Down syndrome. Over the years, the life expectancy of people with Down syndrome has increased to about 60 years.
But even today, there’s a stigma associated with it.
Misha is just one of the many children with Down syndrome who are still being discriminated against and ridiculed because of their condition. It is essential for us to continuously learn and talk about it in order to understand these individuals better. They may look slightly different from us, but they carry the same beauty and potential that comes with being human. Little Misha is a perfect example—his radiant smile can brighten anybody’s day!
