Update: Father of Special Needs Son Raises Nearly $500,000 on GoFundMe; Mother Speaks Out About Accusations

Leo Forrest

It’s a story that continues to melt hearts everywhere: a father choosing to take care of his son with down syndrome over keeping his marriage with his wife. The now-single New Zealand native, Samuel Forrest, has successfully secured over $485,000 through GoFundMe so that he may take care of his little boy Leo.

Samuel-Forrests-wife-mainBut now, Forrest’s ex-wife and mother of Leo, Ruzan Badalyan, is speaking out against the accusations that she abandoned her little boy after she discovered that he had down syndrome. According to the Mirror, Badalyan issued a lengthy statement giving her side of the story, claiming the pair were actually in agreement that Leo would have the best chance of life if he was raised in New Zealand.

Badalyan stated, “The first thing that came to my mind after the diagnoses was that I don’t want a my child to live in a country where certain stereotypes dominate the lives of people with DS and no opportunities at all.

“I want him to be involved and well-received in society, an integration that will require years and years for our society to adjust to. I saw the evasive looks of the doctors, my relatives’ tea-stained faces, received calls of condolences and realized that only a move to a country with such standards as New Zealand would entitle my son to a decent life.”

Leo Forrest 3She then revealed the sadness she felt when she was told Leo had Down Syndrome and how much she loves him. “21 January was the happiest day for me, as I finally gave birth to my long-awaited son. Our son was born at 6.30 in the morning and I remember the alarmed faces around and the doctors’ worried looks.

“I woke hours after anaesthesia. My first question was about the whereabouts of my child. I remember the sad faces of my relatives and the doctors and the diagnosis that sounded like a verdict: ‘Your child was born with Down Syndrome.’

“One can never imagine my feelings at that moment. Hardly had I recovered from the first shock, when the doctor approached me and told me to voice my decision whether I was going to keep Leo or not. I had to make the most ruthless decision in my life within several hours.”

Sam and Leo ForrestBadalyan also disputed Forrest’s accusations that she told him to choose between her and Leo.“In the hardest moment of life when my husband should be next to me and support and help to take the right decision, I could not find any support from his side.

“After that incident, he left the hospital notifying me hours later that he was taking the kid with him, that he is going to leave the country for New Zealand and I do not have anything to d with the situation. Without giving me any option and trying to find with me any solution in this hardest situation, he started to circulate the story on every possible platform without even trying to give me a voice, accusing that I put him an ultimate marriage or the baby, which is absolutely not true.

“I tried several times to communicate but he never tried to listen [to] me and to find common solutions. The only response was the accusation from his part. Sam has never suggested joining him and bringing up the child together in his country. Neither did he tell me anything on the day we filed for divorce.”

Leo Forrest 2Forrest also addressed the situation in a recent update. “I can assure you that I have tried my best to convince my wife we could keep the baby, but in her family, an orphanage seemed a safer option for Armenia. I did everything I could to keep my family together, including suggesting we all go to New Zealand together. Her family also spent time trying to persuade me to surrender our son to an orphanage.

“However, Ruzan should not be the target of all of the frustration that this situation has created. Our paths may be moving in different directions, but she is Leo’s mother and I still feel a great deal of love for her. She and many like her are the victims of the social norms in Armenia. My hope is that through raising awareness, we will be able to change things for the better.”


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