He Chose His Son
He Chose His Son
Sometimes, love begins with one simple decision: “I’m staying.”
In 2015, Samuel Forrest welcomed his newborn son, Leo, in Armenia. Leo was born with Down syndrome, and Samuel was told that placing his baby in an orphanage was an option.
Samuel chose differently. He chose his son.
He prepared to return to New Zealand and raise Leo himself, and their story soon touched people around the world.
But there was another chapter.
Leo’s mother, Ruzan, later spoke about how the shock of childbirth, fear, and uncertainty about her son’s future had overwhelmed her. Within weeks, she reconsidered. The couple reconciled, called off their divorce, and eventually moved to New Zealand together to raise Leo.
Because sometimes people need time to process fear before they can see the love in front of them.
Leo was never a diagnosis.
He was never a burden.
He was simply a little boy who deserved to be loved, wanted, and protected.
And in the end, that’s exactly what his parents chose.
Love stayed.
