Samuel Forrest was left reeling when his wife gave him the ultimatum - give the disabled baby away, or she’d leave him.
‘I had a few moments of shock’ admitted the new father, before saying: ‘I looked at this guy and I said, he’s beautiful. He’s perfect and I’m absolutely keeping him.’
One week later and his wife, true to her word, filed for divorce. She also told her husband he was no longer welcome in the home they shared with her family.
The mother, Ruzan Badalyan, told ABC news that she had indeed had a baby with Down syndrome, but refused to comment further on the matter.
Unsure what to do with the daunting task of raising a child alone, Forrest turned to GoFundMe to ask for help, and quickly raised over $60,000 dollars to help with the costs of raising a disabled child.
On Thursday, the native New Zealander wrote on the page: ‘We’re stunned beyond words at the incredible support & love you’ve shown for little Leo.’
‘Some of the additional funds that we have raised will be used to secure better living conditions in Auckland, and to give Leo higher quality opportunities when it comes to education.’
He ended the post: ‘Thanks again for your care and generosity!’
Many of those who donated commented that they too had a loved one with Down’s, and that having them in their lives taught them plenty.
Matthew Brady, who donated a whopping $1K, said: ‘Samuel - Show Leo love and he’ll love you back 5x as much - I know bc my brother has DS. You’ll learn a lot from your son. Love - Matt Brady.’