Julie and Dan managed to find an adoptive family for their twin boys. But when the babies arrived, the parents realized that they had to keep them.
When Julie and Dan learned that they were expecting twins, they were over the moon.
Then one day, they went for an ultrasound scan and learned something they weren’t prepared for.
Their twins had Down syndrome.
The expectant parents had a tough decision to make. They had no idea what to do. On the one hand, they wanted to raise the twins so much. On the other hand, they did not think that they had the ability to raise two special needs children.
Julie and Dan already had four children. These kids had been a huge handful. Could they take on two more who needed extra care?
So the couple looked into adoption. It was a tough decision, but they figured that giving their babies to others, who could devote more time to them, would be for the best for everyone.
Eventually, Julie and Dan found a couple that was willing to give the babies a home.
For months, Julie and Dan lived with inner conflict. They still wanted the babies. But they also thought that they would be overwhelmed.
Then Julie went into labor. Soon, the babies were in the world.
Both Julie and Dan were in agreement. Now that they could see their babies, they wanted to keep them.
So they told the adoptive parents that they couldn’t give up Charlie and Milo, their twins. Instead, they were keeping them.
Over the next few months, Julie and Dan got on with raising the children. They had been correct to assume that the twins were hard work. But their love for them shined through.
Milo and Charlie were in a large household. Their parents and four siblings were always there for them. But many more people would get to know them.
Julie and Dan started a Facebook page for the twins, which has, to date, gained almost 200,000 followers. A video of them has also gained over 400,000 views on YouTube. It also has more than 5,400 likes and 400 comments.
People have been saying things like this:
In 2020, Charlie and Milo turned five. They are becoming more and more independent every day.
Julie and Dan recently updated the world about them. They reported that the boys are getting therapy to help thrive in the world. This therapy has really helped, “to support the boys’ development at home.”
The parents have also stated that over the last five years, they have not felt any social isolation or exclusion (of course, social distancing because of the pandemic doesn’t count.)
Instead, they have found a large community of others who have a member or members of their family with Down syndrome.
At the end of the day, Julie and Dan have the following to say about raising their boys:
“It’s busy, it’s noisy, it’s messy, it’s exasperating, it’s wild and it’s wonderful!”
Clearly, they made the right choice when they decided to raise them!
Of course, every family is different, and we shouldn’t judge others for their differences.
That also includes the parents’ choices. Julie and Dan realized that the best thing for their children was for them to be raised in their own home. Perhaps for other parents, giving up their children for adoption would have been the best course of action. What’s important is to let parents make their decisions themselves in their own time.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
