When Misha was born, his father suggested a road that could forever change the life of that child: let him go.
The diagnosis came almost immediately. Just a minute and thirty-nine seconds after birth, doctors confirmed that Misha had Down's syndrome.
Then there came a difficult possibility even to imagine for a parent: to entrust the child to another family.
Some people near Evgeny also thought it could be the simplest solution. But he had already made his decision.
Misha was his son. And he would stay with him.
From that moment on, Evgeny's life took a completely different direction.
He was 33 years old, a career in Moscow and professional prospects ahead of him. The relationship did not resist what was happening, but one thing did not change: the choice to personally take care of the child.
Evgeny demanded paternity leave and began practically from scratch.
He had to learn how to take care of Misha and organize the days around his needs. He found himself at the same time supporting responsibility that are normally shared by two parents.
It was not a completely lonely path.
His mother stood by him. Friends and even people who did not know him decided to help him, even economically, helping to guarantee Misha the necessary care and support.
With the passing of the years, that decision taken in the first moments after birth has assumed an increasingly concrete meaning.
Today Misha regularly goes to school, follows a path of logopedia and continues to grow surrounded by the affection of his family.
Evgeny has also chosen to publicly tell his experience, in the hope that it can be useful to other parents who are in front of fear, uncertainty and difficult decisions.
Yet there is a definition in which one does not recognize himself: that of hero.
From his point of view he did not accomplish something heroic. He simply did what he felt he had to do as a father: stay with his son and love him without conditions.
Perhaps this is the most powerful aspect of their history.
For others, some choices can look huge. For those who really love someone, sometimes, they can simply seem the only choice possible.