“When I found myself pregnant, it was a mix of feelings. I always knew I wanted many children, but I never planned to be a single mom, especially because my mom was one and I did not want my child to grew up without a father like I did.
But history repeated and when I told the father of my child I was pregnant. I was 24 and he was 29, and he immediately demand me to have a abortion. I cried and asked him to please don’t leave me alone on this, but he did.
I had a high risk pregnancy. I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia around 24 weeks and the baby Down syndrome test was positive. My world was just upside down but I wanted my baby no matter what, and I knew I would love and care for him with all my heart.
Jonathan, my little Johnny, was born at 35 weeks and immediately transferred to the NICU with serious respiratory problems. Nine days after birth, Johnny and I got discharged from the hospital. I always say that was the day I was born again. When Johnny was two months old, after several times trying to convince his father to come see him and understand he could still have a father-son relationship with Johnny even through we were not a couple, I took him to court for Johnny’s rights. He look at the judge and said: “I will pay whatever I have to but I want nothing to do with the child.” I was in tears. The judge granted me full custody and said: ‘Don’t you cry young lady, what goes around, comes around.’
When Johnny was almost four years old (he’s nine now), I started a relationship with this man who is now the only father my son has ever known. They connected right away and, before I knew it, Johnny was calling Rob ‘daddy.’
Rob and Johnny choose each other and, even through Johnny knows Rob is not his ‘real’ dad, he is very thankful for having a such great father figure who treats him as his own child, reads for him before bed, takes him to a baseball game, goes to school events, and has unconditional love for him.
On their first Father’s Day, I made a card online with their picture saying:
‘Your blood may not run through my veins–that is true, but the only father I have ever known has been only you. You stepped in as a dad and loved me as your own. I thank you with all my heart for all the love you have shown. Our name may be different, but I don’t care, for it is more then a name that you and I share. Always know that in my eyes you’re my Dad in that there’s no doubt because you always knew what love a child was all about.’
Johnny is the kindest, smartest and happiest kid I’ve ever met. I thank God everyday for his life and also for giving us Rob as part of it. This is a picture of them at a Celtics game a couple of years ago.
Love what matters. Always.” ❤️
Submitted by Fernanda Newton