A mum who adopted a gorgeous son with her wife has hit back after being told she's "not a real parent" by a cruel woman on Facebook.
The mum, Heather Young-Nguyen, posted an amazing rant on Reddit, where she responded to anyone hwo has ever doubted her abilities as a mother.
"I did not give birth to my child. I did not get to feel him growing within me, or hold him against my skin when he was born. Perhaps by your definition, my child is not a part of me - he does not resemble me or my wife."
However, despite the fact that Heather did not give birth to her son, she went on to explain what being a parent means to her and her wife, Kelly.
"I didn't labour for hours for this child, I laboured for YEARS. I waited for years to be told that we had been chosen, that we were finally going to be allowed to be parents. "I didn't feel labour pains. I felt the incredible pain of emptiness in my heart and home as my wife and I yearned to begin our family through adoption."
The brave mother continued to explain that while she missed out on certain experiences, she gained so many through adoption: "I didn't get to wake up in the middle of the night and nurse my sweet child. I did, though, spend many nights lying awake and praying to whomever might be listening to let us be next. Asking myself why we hadn't been chosen yet."
Heather talked about how difficult, and heartbreaking the adoption process is: "Pouring over adoption profiles and sending endless e-mail enquiries on children available for adoption and being told no, no, no over and over again. And like you said, 'you can't possibly understand that feeling.' I feel certain you have absolutely no idea."
"He may not wake me up to feed him every couple hours, but he screams out in his sleep - no doubt reliving past traumas from the life he led before being adopted. Not every experience is your experience. Not every mother is a mother because she gave birth. Not every child is yours or a "part of you" because you grew it inside of you.
My child will always be a part of me, because we're fighting for this life together."
A number of Reddit users sympathised with Heather, and one even confessed somebody once made their wife feel bad because she hadn't given birth naturally.
What a heartwarming discussion about adoption, best of luck to Heather and Kelly - and their gorgeous son, Ryan.
