Man Sends Ailing Mom to Hospice after She Tells Him to Put His Son with Down Syndrome in Foster Care

When a man's ailing mother brought toys for his children, he discovered his ten-year-old son with Down syndrome didn't get anything. What happened next was something the woman hadn't expected.

As people age, their experiences help shape their perspectives about various things in life. Sometimes, their younger family members or friends do not agree with their viewpoints, which causes a rift between them.

In the same way, children often disagree with their parents over certain things. They argue with them, trying to explain their point of view, which sometimes results in broken relationships. A similar incident occurred in today's story, in which the man turned to Reddit for advice. Scroll down to find out what happened.

THE MAN'S STORY

After things took an unexpected turn in Redditor BigBlueDotss's life, he took to Reddit to seek advice from other users. Before jumping to the main story, the thirty-year-old man revealed some crucial details about his life.

He had married his wife, who had a son with Down syndrome. After tying the knot, the couple welcomed their daughter, but the man's wife passed away a year later.

While recovering from the shock of her sudden demise, he got custody of his late wife's son with Down syndrome since his stepson's father had signed over parental rights at birth. Little did he know that someone close to him would soon belittle his son.

HIS AILING MOTHER

In May 2022, OP's mother asked him if she could live at his place for some time. Because of her complicated medical condition, the doctors had told her she had a few months to live.

Her eyes welled with tears as she asked her son not to leave her, but he was determined to call hospice the next day.

OP's mother wanted to spend the remaining months of her life with her loved ones, so the man allowed her to stay at his house for a week. He wasn't prepared for what would happen in the days to come.

THE EXPENSIVE TOY SET

The man had invited his mother to stay for a week to see how his kids reacted to it. He planned to extend her stay in case his children felt comfortable with it.

A few days after she came to live with OP, she ordered an expensive toy set for her 6-year-old granddaughter. The man said he was against spoiling his children with expensive toys, but he let it go considering his ailing mother was trying to bond with her grandchildren.

When the toy set arrived a few days later, the children were excited to play with it. That day, OP asked his son which toys he took, to which he replied that he didn't choose any. The boy's reply didn't sit well with OP, so he asked his mother about it.

THE SHOCKING REPLY

To his shock, his mother said she didn't buy the toys for his son. She said she only brought the set for "her grandbaby." Confused, OP reminded her that she had two grandchildren. She replied:

"He's not your son."

Hearing those four words made the man lose his cool. He politely instructed his children to play in the living room. After they left, he told his mother what she said was against his house rules. No one in his house was allowed to talk like that.

HIS UNEXPECTED DECISION

Before he knew it, things took an unexpected turn. Instead of accepting what he had just said, OP's mother argued with him. She said:

"It's true. You have no obligation here. You should go foster care or stick it [his son] in a facility before your life is ruined."

OP considered his late wife's son his own, and never for a second had he thought about putting his son in foster care. Shocked after hearing his mother's suggestion, he scolded her, called her names, and told her he would send her to hospice. The woman hadn't seen this coming.

MIXED REACTIONS

Her eyes welled with tears as she asked her son not to leave her, but he was determined to call hospice the next day. OP recalled:

"She cried all night, begged me to not make her go die alone in a hospice, but I said she crossed a line, and I'm done."

Despite her pleas, OP called hospice and sent her mother there the following day. Meanwhile, his aunts and sister said what he did was wrong, while his cousin supported him. His friends suggested he let it go because his mother didn't have much time to live. The mixed reactions made OP feel guilty.

FEELING GUILTY

After getting mixed reactions from his friends and family, OP felt guilty about sending his ailing mother to hospice. He posted his story in the "AITA" sub on Reddit, asking other users for advice. Redditor TA122278 said:

"You did the right thing. Anyone in your family saying YTA - well, it sounds like they are offering up for her to come live with them! Tell them you appreciate their offer and ask when to drop her off [sic]."

Meanwhile, Redditor LoboRoo, who worked in a nursing home, shared her experience. She said many kids don't visit their parents, indicating they must have done something wrong. She added that it's easy to feel bad for such people, but sometimes they deserve to be isolated in hospice.

THE COMMENTS

Redditor ChimericalCreations assured OP he was not at fault. According to the Redditor, OP's mother's words, "stick it in a facility," were very mean, and he shouldn't feel guilty about sending her to hospice. Reddit user Bassjosh agreed, saying:

"The son did exactly that. Stuck mom in a facility. I can only assume despite her cries. She must approve of her own idea."

Most Redditors assured OP he was not at fault and thought he did the right thing. They supported his decision to send his mother to hospice after what she said about his son.

Do you think the man did the right thing? Would you give your mother another chance if you were in his shoes? Let us know your thoughts about this story in the comments. If you enjoyed reading this story, share it with your friends and family.

Click here to read a heartbreaking story about a mother who kicked out her teenage daughter after finding out she was pregnant.