A photo of a man with Down’s syndrome holding a newborn baby has gone viral.
Anyone that has ever held a baby knows how amazing it can be but sometimes parents can be protective over whom they let hold their little ones.
And while their vigilance is often plausible, there are occasions when such decisions are made out of prejudice.
For 20-year-old Daniel Throop, being refused permission to hold a baby is common but not because he’s incapable.
Instead, the reason parents are often too scared to let him embrace their child is because he has Down’s syndrome.
Tired of the misconception surrounding people with the genetic condition, Throop’s older brother, Kevin, took to Reddit to share a true moment of unconditional love that he hopes will alter peoples misconceptions.
Posting to the online community site, he explained that despite his brother’s love of kids, it was rare that people let Daniel hold their children anymore.
However, he decided to change all that after having his own child, Maysen, just three months ago and shared a heartwarming photo of the moment the pair first met.
My brother is a low functioning downsie. He used to love to hold babies but it's rare someone let's him now. My wife and I let him hold our baby today and here is his look when we gave her to him and then the way he held her without movement for 5 minutes. I almost cried. :) from aww
“My wife and I let him hold our baby today and here is his look when we gave her to him and then the way he held her without movement for 5 minutes. I almost cried. “
With more than 132,000 likes, Kevin hopes that the now-viral image will help people become less prejudiced towards those with Down’s syndrome.
“I hope people learn that individuals with DS give the purest type of love,“ he told Café Mom.
“All the kid wanted was to hold and be held. A really simple thing.
“When he was younger I think it was easier for people to show him affection, but now that he is older he is a child trapped in a man's body and I think this changed people's perception.“
- More about:
- Down's Syndrome
- Family And Parenting
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