Although there's no joy in the world quite like the feeling of bouncing a sweet baby, many moms and dads are understandably protective over who they let hold their little ones. However, some come from a place of judgement or assumption when making that decision. For Daniel Throop, that means that parents are oftentimes scared of letting him hold their child despite his love of kids.
Kevin Throop explains to CafeMom that his 20-year-old brother Daniel doesn't just have low-functioning Down syndrome -- he also has an incredibly pure love for everyone. However, most people only see his diagnosis, and that's only become harder as he faces increasing reaction as an adult.
After having his first child, Kevin snapped a photo of his brother and his little girl meeting for the first time, and the incredible moment has gone viral because of the unconditional love it captures. "He used to love to hold babies but it's rare that someone lets him now," Kevin wrote on Reddit. "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."
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Kevin shared that the heartwarming moment happened when Daniel and his parents returned to California from a trip to New Guinea. This was the first time that Daniel was able to meet 3-month-old Maysen Ava, and their interaction had more meaning than anyone originally realized. "My brother was feeling ignored that day because he couldn't join the adult conversation," Kevin tells CafeMom. "This is really hard for him, to know he is not part of a conversation. He gave me eight hugs in 10 minutes and I'm not exaggerating, so we knew he needed some love."
Kevin then placed Maysen in Daniel's arms, and now he hopes that the world learns from their powerful connection. "I hope people learn that individuals with DS give the purest type of love," Kevin says. "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."
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Kevin explains that this isn't the first time Daniel was a baby whisperer -- with many nieces and nephews, his brother has always had a love of little ones. "I don't know anyone that shows joy the way my brother does, and the world is a little less bright with a little less joy when we lose people with DS or parents decide not to have them," Kevin adds.
Source: cafemom.com
