When his son, Misha, was born, Evgeny Anisimov experienced one of the happiest times in history. However, he was shocked to hear the doctor say, “I worry your baby has Down syndrome.” His excitement had been replaced by uncertainty and concern.
Evgeny was thrown into a tizzy of emotions when he heard those remarks. The 33-year-old father recalled leaving the hospital and crying after the doctors told them the news in an interview with Bored Panda. However, the tears soon dried up. He was actually ashamed of his initial response.
“After all, nothing had really altered in my life. I still had two limbs and two legs, and my professional knowledge was ineffective, Evgeny remarked.
“Everything I had, including my tenacity, activity, curiosity, etc., was with me. My son was born as expected, everything went according to plan. But the infant is unique, and his present and future are already of great significance,” he continued.
Evgeny recognized he was being self-centered and realized that he should be capable of taking care of the child, whatever how challenging that may be.
That evening when he got home, he turned on his computer and began researching Down syndrome because he had no idea what his son’s diagnosis was.
“I discovered that people with Down syndrome can live and work independently in Europe and are well-integrated into society. But that didn’t change the choice I had already made,” he remarked.
He had never considered leaving his son behind, but it seems that his wife had different ideas: she wanted to give their boy up to foster care.
He has always had a “excellent and trusted” relationship with his wife. Evgeny persuaded his wife they would get through it together after hearing about her plan. Sadly, she wasn’t persuaded, and their disagreement ultimately caused them to part ways.
The rubicon had already been crossed and it was too late to turn back from the scenario, he added. “Now I see that she was only afraid at the moment, she started to act according to the wrong scenario, and by that time, the rubicon was already crossed.”
Evgeny has since raised Misha by himself. Every night, he tucks him in, gives him a bath, and prepares dinner for him.
Although each task is easy, the single father acknowledges that completing it every day is challenging. He is fortunate that his mother helps him so he can have some alone time.
For Misha’s benefit in terms of both his physical and mental growth, Evgeny also plans a variety of activities. The toddler has been taking weekly swimming lessons since he was five months old.
In addition, he has begun speech treatment. Evgeny is grateful that many people have been contributing to their ability to pay for these costly activities.
I know there might be more problems in the future, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to get through them all, he added.
Evgeny’s goal is to spread knowledge about Down syndrome and assist families that are dealing with the same difficulties as raising a child with special needs.
Evgeny has this to stay because their tale is gradually attracting attention on a global scale.
“I want the public to learn and internalize that concept through all the pieces about Mishka and I that are currently being published. And I also want to encourage and support those who are or will be in similar situations to me by setting a good example, the devout father continued.
“I make an effort to correspond with people who are close by and those who are far away. I hope those who are struggling right now, just like it was for us, read about us. Don’t be afraid! Everything is going to be okay!
What a motivating tale! Evgeny is the epitome of what a terrific father should be.
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