Single gay dad adopts rejected baby with Down syndrome
Luca Trapanese is a single dad from Italy. These days, he and his adorable daughter are kind of a big deal on the internet.
But for Trapanese, it was a long journey to fatherhood. He happens to be unmarried and gay and Italy’s social services were reluctant, as they are with other single parents, to let him adopt. But that all changed in 2017 when baby Alba came along.
Italy only allows single parents to adopt kids who meet specific criteria.
“I was told that I’d only be given a child with an illness, a severe disability or with behavioral problems,” Trapanese said, according to the Independent. “I was absolutely OK with that.”
Since he was 14, Trapanese has worked and volunteered with organizations that help children with special needs. The 41-year-old was eventually matched with Alba when she was only 30 days old. It was kismet.
A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on Apr 25, 2020 at 6:06am PDT
As a newborn, Alba was placed for adoption because she has Down syndrome, according to Bored Panda. By the time she was a few weeks old, she had already been rejected by 20 families.
“When I first held her in my arms, I was overcome with joy,” Trapanese said. “I felt she was my daughter straight away.”
Today the doting dad shares his journey with Alba on Instagram to nearly a quarter of a million followers. From completing art projects to playing dress-up, Trapanese is clearly smitten with his little girl.
A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on May 15, 2020 at 8:03am PDT
But rest assured, pretty much every post is full of comments with heart eyes, heart kisses and plain, old hearts. Alba is a star and very loved.
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