Single Dad Adopts Girl With Down Syndrome Rejected By 20 Families

Luca Trapanese, a single dad from Italy, adopted a baby girl with Down syndrome. At one month old, baby Alba had been rejected 20 times, but Luca knew they were meant to be together.

Deciding To Adopt

At the age of 14, Luca’s friend died of cancer. He spent all his time with his friend by helping him and just being there during treatment. The experience was so profound for Luca that after his friend died, Luca began to volunteer at a church in Naples helping with disabled children. And he continued into his adulthood.

When he was 25, he went into Catholic seminary and spent a few years there until he became romantic with a man. Luca left the seminary and spent his time with his partner. He founded a charity and they worked together with the disabled. Luca even became formally adopted into the family of one of the individuals he worked with at the request of the mother. She realized there would be no one to care for her son and asked if Luca would become his brother so that he could care for him. Luca agreed and now formally has two families and two moms. It was this process that set him on the decision to create his own family through adoption.

Luca and his partner agreed that they would adopt a child and when they did, they would accept only a child with disabilities. But after a decade together, they broke up and Luca moved into his own place. He still very much wanted to adopt, but single parents in Italy did not have this option at the time. But at the end of 2017, Luca was finally able to apply.

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Alba si sveglia alle 6.30 al massimo, riesco a tirarla per le 7.00 fin quando non inizia a ripetizione a dire PAPPA PAPPA PAPPA….allora mi alzo intontito, le riscaldo il latte. Lei lo beve in pochissimo tempo perché è affamata. Ci alziamo, ci prepariamo e andiamo insieme a fare colazione in piazza. Per le 9.00 massimo siamo in spiaggia insieme ad altri bambini…mare, tuffi, corse con gli zii e i cugini. Poi bagnetto con l’amido per togliere il sale, pranzo a volte preparato da zia Teresa che cucina molto bene, riposino di un paio d’ore sotto il controllo di nonna Antonietta mentre io vado a fare un tuffo. Dopo di nuovo spiaggia e bagnetto. Poi cena, passeggiata e per le 22 al massimo è stecchita a letto! Io la sento russare😂 mentre sono in giardino a leggere finalmente un libro …una vacanza tradizionalissima no? #Alba #padre #paternità #Procida #tradizione #mare #sole #famiglia

A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on Aug 13, 2019 at 3:42pm PDT

Adopt A Child With Down Syndrome

The adoption agency told him he would only be given a child with problems: a child with an illness, disability, or behavior problems. A child rejected by traditional families. “I was absolutely okay with that,” he told BBC. “Because of my personal experience, I knew I had the resources to deal with whatever problem this child might have.” (1)

Luca received a phone call in July 2017. They told him they had a baby girl named Alba, 30 days old with Down syndrome. Her biological mother abandoned her and more than 20 families rejected her.

“I struggled to contain my joy,” he told BBC. “I immediately rushed to hospital to pick her up. She was in a teeny, tiny cradle all by herself. When I first held her in my arms, I was overcome with joy. I felt she was my daughter straight away.” (1)

After a few days alone with her, he held a party to introduce her to his family and his friends from his charity. Alba has revolutionized his life, Luca says, and now everything revolves around her.

“She brought me happiness and a sense of fulfillment,” he said. “I am proud to be her dad. Alba was never my second choice because she has a condition; I wanted her to be my daughter. I can see a future for myself now. I will spend the rest of my life with a child I love and we’ll do so many amazing things together.” (1)