Armenian Father Refuses to Give Up Down Syndrome Son, Wife Divorces Him Over It

Christiannews.net ^ | 2/7/15 | Heather Clark

[Faith Presses On]

A father in Armenia says that he is refusing to give up his down syndrome son even though his wife has divorced him over his decision to keep the baby.

Samuel Forrest told reporters this week that in Armenian culture, children with down syndrome are viewed as bringing shame upon a family. So when his wife, Ruzan Badalyn, gave birth last month to a baby boy with the condition, she would have nothing to do with him. According to Forrest, Badalyn wouldn’t touch or even look at the baby, who has been named Leo.

“What happens when a baby like this is born here, they will tell you that you don’t have to keep them,” he told ABC News. “My wife had already decided, so all of this was done behind my back.” Forrest said that he did not know that his child had down syndrome until after he was born, and even then, for a time he was not permitted to see his wife or baby.