Misha was born in August 2018, in Russia. Just one minute and 39 seconds after the birth, doctors confirmed that he had Down syndrome.
It was there, in that very brief moment, that the life of Evgeny Anisimov, his father, changed forever.
His wife suggested placing him in foster care. Evgeny said no, without hesitation. The couple ended up separating, but he never let go of his son. He was 33 years old, gave up job opportunities in Moscow, and took paternity leave to learn, from scratch, how to care for Misha.
His mother supported him. Friends and strangers donated money and even breast milk so the boy could thrive.
Today, Misha goes to school, receives speech therapy, and is growing up surrounded by people who chose not to abandon him. Evgeny shares his story on social media under the name @evgen_tyz, and says he holds no resentment: he understands that his ex-wife acted out of fear. Sometimes a father’s love is enough to build an entire home all on his own.
