Uncle Takes In 6-Year-Old Niece After Brother Disowns The Child, Only For Family To Turn On Him

May 15, 2021

An uncle took in his 6-year-old niece after his brother disowned her. Their situation was complicated, as the brother had found out some extremely surreal news regarding his relationship with his daughter. It has since caused a ripple throughout the family, and it seemed like the only one who was still there for the little girl was her uncle.

The 30-year-old uncle had gotten quite close to his niece over the years and was even her godfather. He had known her since the day she was born and loved her unconditionally. Children benefit well from having solid relationships with their family, especially their aunts and uncles. They can go to these adult figures when they need advice, but don’t feel comfortable talking to their own parents about their problems. Having a close confidant can help them build trustworthy relationships with other adults in their lives later on.

Despite this, the uncle’s immediate family removed themselves from his niece’s life. He posted his thoughts about the strange situation to Reddit on April 29, 2021, looking for advice on what he should do next.

Although most families usually go through their own ups and downs, this family’s circumstances were a bit different. In a shocking revelation, the uncle’s brother found out that he wasn’t the biological father of the little girl, which is why he had removed himself from her life altogether. This didn’t sit well with the uncle, so he did what he had to in order to stay in his niece’s life, even if it meant making the rest of his family turn their backs on him.

In his Reddit post, the uncle revealed that his brother was not the little girl’s biological father. The man’s ex-girlfriend had lied to him. Shocked by the news, the brother and the rest of the family completely cut ties with the ex-girlfriend and the little girl, and the brother moved out of their apartment. “I have mixed feelings about that, but I wasn’t the one cheated on or lied to, so I can’t say I understand his complicated emotions,” the uncle explained.

This meant that the only people the niece had known her whole life were now no longer in it. “It didn’t feel right for me to do that, too,” the uncle wrote. “Even if we’re not biologically related, the idea of not being in her life anymore hurt.” So, he decided to stay in her life despite the rest of his family being against it.

Although the uncle’s relationship with his brother’s ex-girlfriend wasn’t great, he kept in touch with her so he could continue to see his niece. “Before all this happened, my niece’s mom (had) been struggling with health problems, and now we’re learning that her time is limited,” the uncle revealed. Since the woman herself has no other family, she needed to look for someone to care for her daughter in the future and turned to the little girl’s uncle. “We haven’t started the legal process yet, but I’ve already agreed I’ll take care of her,” the uncle wrote in his post.

Unfortunately, the rest of his family wasn’t thrilled about the news. “My parents are completely against this since it means my niece will be in my life permanently and I’d be an awful person for putting my brother in that kind of position,” the uncle wrote.

Once his brother found out, he was “furious” and called the uncle the “worst brother ever,” as he revealed in his Reddit post. “Honestly I knew this would not make him happy at all, but the level of hate I’m getting from my family is not what I expected,” the uncle continued. 

It seemed like the only choices the little girl had was living with her uncle or entering the foster care system. The uncle made the decision for her and happily took her into his own home. The brother gave the uncle an ultimatum, him or the niece, but the uncle picked the niece. “Still haven’t heard the end of it from everyone else for betraying my brother again like his ex did,” he said.

Some commenters had questions about the situation, such as where the biological father was, or if there was anyone else that could possibly care for the young girl. The uncle edited his Reddit post to answer them. “We already know who the biological father is, and he’s aware, too,” he wrote. “However he is the last person that should ever have custody of a child, and even if he was interested in being involved, that would not be a safe environment for my niece.”

Even though it seemed like this sweet little girl had no one else to turn to, the man behind the Reddit post has been cut out of his family’s lives since he made the decision to take her in. Only time will tell if he can mend these relationships, and how his life will be now that he’s agreed to take in his niece permanently.

What do you think about this situation? Should the uncle have stayed in his niece’s life? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to send this to your friends and family members to find out what they think, too.