His Grandpa Had A Secret Child, And He Doesn’t Want Her To End Up In An Orphanage
In the matter of a week, this 23-year-old man’s life has been turned entirely upside down. Not only is he coping with the recent death of his grandfather, but he also found out about his grandfather’s secret daughter.
And now, he’s the only one in his family who’s willing to step up and care for her rather than sending her to an orphanage.
It was three days ago when his 78-year-old grandfather sadly passed away. His grandfather had two children that his very large family knew about: his mother and his uncle. But then, in the middle of his grandfather’s wake, they learned of a third kid.
Apparently, his grandfather had a 4-year-old daughter with a previous cleaning lady who would help him out around the house. Her name is Lenka, and she’s quiet, tiny, and totally alone, because her mother is out of the picture and no one knows where she is.
To make the situation even worse, Lenka actually attended his grandfather’s funeral, and everyone in his family was acting horribly toward her.
“At the funeral, nobody would even look at her. I saw her curled up in the corner of the room, like she was trying to disappear,” he recalled.
“And the only conversation anyone had was who’s not going to take her. They all agreed she should be sent to an orphanage.”
He honestly doesn’t know what came over him, but eventually, he “snapped.” Then, he walked over to Lenka, knelt down, and asked if she wanted to live with him. All she did was nod in response, and she returned home with him the same night.
Prior to staying with him, Lenka had been with his cousin, Nika, who basically handed over Lenka’s health card and told him, “Good luck.”
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“I’m a 23-year-old guy living alone in a small apartment in eastern Slovakia. I work from home. I pay rent. I’m not rich. I’ve never raised a child. I’m still an external university student. I go to school on weekends,” he explained.
“But she came with me. And she’s been here since.”
During the initial drive home from his grandfather’s funeral, Lenka didn’t say a peep. Later, when he tried to show her his apartment and give her food, she also didn’t react much. He wound up breaking down at 2:00 a.m. that night, crying like he hadn’t in years.
In his mind, he kept wondering what he was doing and how he could possibly raise a child alone when he was practically still a kid himself. Moreover, he knew that his family wouldn’t help and would just judge him instead.
It’s safe to say that he couldn’t sleep that night, and at 3:00 a.m., it became clear that Lenka was having trouble, too. She actually wet the bed and tried to hide the blanket so he wouldn’t find out.
“My heart cracked in half. I told her everything’s okay and helped her clean up,” he said.
The following morning, he took Lenka shopping for some new things. At first, she tried to be independent and opted not to hold his hand. But by the time they had to walk home, she was so exhausted that he wound up carrying her back.
Afterward, he cooked the little girl breakfast and headed out to become Lenka’s legal guardian. He genuinely believed that he’d just have to drop off some papers at the child services office, but “chaos” ensued instead.
He brought every single document he could possibly find, including his ID, his grandfather’s death certificate, Lenka’s health card, and a letter he wrote, in which he asked for emergency temporary custody. Yet, one woman who worked at the child services office tore him to shreds.
“She was cold and cruel and basically called me a stupid boy to my face, [saying], ‘You’re just a kid. You can’t raise another kid. You don’t even have the right to her. She’s better off with her mother,” he revealed.
“And she said all of this in front of Lenka, who was sitting quietly in my lap.”
Eventually, he realized that Lenka was silently crying, too, and he left the child services office early. He said he’d finish the process later and took Lenka to a nearby ice cream shop for a break, detailing how they’d have to go back and speak to the worker again, but they’d stay together the whole time.
Lenka seemed okay with that, and once they returned to the child services office, he found out about their next steps. He and Lenka would be visited by social workers, and the office would also attempt to contact Lenka’s mother. Thereafter, if Lenka’s mother is found, she might get “legal priority.”
Even so, he’s committed to fighting for Lenka now. He thinks that if her mother has already abandoned her once, then she’ll do it again, and he refuses to let Lenka go through that.
“And I need to say this somewhere: I love this kid. I’ve known her for three days, and I’d do anything to protect her. But I’m falling apart inside,” he admitted.
Thankfully, he works from home right now, and his remote situation is the only way he’s been able to manage Lenka’s care. Nonetheless, he still attends university on the weekends, and he knows that he’ll likely have to stop going since he doesn’t have access to babysitting in Slovakia.
Moreover, he’s worried that he’ll never be able to find a girlfriend who’s fine with him, a 23-year-old guy, having a 4-year-old.
“I feel like I traded everything I used to be for someone who deserves a better life. And I don’t regret it,” he vented.
“But I’m scared. And tired. And trying not to break. I just needed to let it out.”
Finally, he’s also seeking advice from anyone who’s been in a similar situation as he takes on caring for Lenka.
Would you have the courage to take in a child at such a young age yourself? What recommendations would you give him to help adjust?
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