Family isn’t always about blood ties; who we recognize as family is often the person who has loved us unconditionally whether we’re a relative or not.
For one little girl her whole world came crashing down when her mom revealed that the man she had called dad was not her biological father.
The 6-year-old girl was too young to realize the implications for her but for her father it was catastrophic as he wanted nothing more to do with her.
The girl’s uncle and brother of the man who found out he no longer had a biological daughter, didn’t want to turn his back on the little girl, especially as her mother was experiencing some health issues.
But little did he know the family he would lose in making this decision.
“Over a year ago my brother found out my niece — who was 6 at the time — was not his biological daughter,” he wrote on Reddit.
When his brother found out that his daughter wasn’t his biological child, he “basically cut of[f] all contact with his ex and my niece. Moved out of their shared apartment and refused to have anything else to do with them.”
But as uncle to this little girl for six years he only thought of her and how confused she must have been in all of this.
‘I’ve loved her since the day she was born’
“So basically the only family my niece knew her entire life were not involved anymore,” he wrote on Reddit. “It didn’t feel right for me to do that too. I’ve loved my niece since the day she was born. I’m her godfather and everything, even if we’re not biologically related the idea of not being in her life anymore hurt.
“I stuck around,” he wrote. “My brother was always against me still being involved but in the end it became one of those things we don’t have a problem with as long as we don’t talk about it. Even if I hated having to interact with her mom, I still got to spend time with my niece and take her out.”
The uncle stayed in the little girl’s life despite what his own family thought of him until he received some more news that changed everything.
The girl’s mother had been struggling with health issues and had learned that her time was limited.
“She herself has no other family so she’s asking if I’d take over as my niece’s legal guardian once she’s not here anymore. We haven’t started the legal process yet but I’ve already agreed I’ll take care of her.
“My parents are completely against this since it means my niece will be in my life permanently and I’d be an awful person for putting my brother in that kind of position,” he wrote.
Flood of support
“My brother found out about this too and he’s furious. I’ve gotten an earful from him about how I’m the worst brother ever, and a selfish s— for taking in the one person he wants no involvement with.”
But the uncle knows that if he doesn’t take the little girl in, she’ll have to go into foster care.
He took to Reddit to share his story to find out what others thought as he admitted he’s not completely sure he’s doing the right thing.
But his post was met with a flood of support from people who understand there is a little girl in the middle of all this that needs his unconditional love.
It doesn’t matter what the adults think, this little girl will have to go into foster care and spend her whole life wondering what she did wrong if her uncle hadn’t decided he wanted to stay in her life.
What do you think about his decision? Please post your comments below and share this story.
