Influencer Parents Myka And James Stauffer Face Backlash After "Rehoming" Their Adopted Autistic Son
Influencer parents Myka and James Stauffer have sparked debate after announcing that they had "rehomed" their adopted, autistic son Huxley.
The couple adopted the child in 2017, and Myka, who runs a lifestyle and parenting channel on YouTube, had been documenting the couple and their family's journey with Huxley in monetized videos on YouTube. The couple also has four biological children. Huxley had been adopted from China, and while the couple were aware he had special needs, James Stauffer said, "Once Huxley came home, there was a lot more special needs that we weren't aware of and that we were not told."
The couple say they had attempted to help Huxley through numerous therapies and interventions in their time with him before coming to the decision that he needed more than they could give him.
"Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500%," said Stauffer. "It's not about me at all, but it's just, like, this journey has been -- the last couple months have been, like, the hardest thing I could have ever imagined." She also stated that medical professionals agreed that Huxley needed "a different fit."
People have been split on their reactions to the story. Some have praised the couple for making a difficult decision in the interests of Huxley. "I respect you so much for having the courage to make such a heartbreaking and hard decision," says a pinned comment beneath the video. "You are such great parents, you have to do what’s right for him first and foremost. You are brave and he will thrive in life because of you."
Others were less charitable, with Twitter users calling her "evil," and "the ultimate Karen".
It takes a special kind of evil to PURPOSELY search out a child, adopt them.. & then ‘rehome’ him like a fucking dog when he didn’t conform to your aesthetically pleasing, white-washed life. @MykaStauffer monetised, abused & exploited Huxley – with no ramifications #mykastauffer pic.twitter.com/z5lpSInUxL
— Charlotte Wooldridge (@CharlieWool86) May 28, 2020
Myka Stauffer proved herself the ultimate Karen when she crowdfunded an adoption of 2yo with Autism from China, exploited him and his meltdowns for praise on YT, and then rehomed him like an unwanted pet once she had another bio kid. pic.twitter.com/qW1mVY6H9m
— Bonnie (@thatbonnielass7) May 27, 2020
Autistic children aren’t puppies. They don’t have “forever families.” They don’t get “rehomed.” They get abandoned. Myka Stauffer abandoned this autistic child. https://t.co/H7ZrsYvXI8
— Sara Luterman (@slooterman) May 28, 2020
Extremely depressed reading about the influencer who raised funds to adopt a son, made this her “brand,” discovered he has special needs, secretly rehomed him, blocked ppl asking about him (after her followers helped fund the adoption) & put out a video making herself the victim https://t.co/ekgeTWBpm5
— Sophie Ross (@SophRossss) May 27, 2020
According to Stauffer, Huxley is doing much better with his "forever family." "He’s thriving, he’s doing really well, and his new mommy has medical, professional training," she said.
Share Pin
RemChi
I can understand wanting to give a child a better life because of his mental illness…
But abandoning a child because you dont want to put in the effort to raise him and then framing it as "Giving him a better life…" while also using words like "Forever Home" (Like they seriously see him as a dog) just shows how manipulative you are. You abandoned him because you're lazy sacks of shit that make money off of FILMING SAID KIDS.
This is anecdotal, but my brother has 3 kids, and an adopted child with Downsyndrome. He's also a pastor, a missionary, and makes videos of the exact same quality as you (except, its just him, vlogging, not using their kids for money), Yet he's not given one fucking thought to abandoning his kid.
An kid with mental illness is not going to improve over a few years, they're a lifelong work that won't be growing fruit anytime soon. By abandoning him (YES ABANDONING HIM), you've done more damage than you did good. But I bet you don't actually care.
lightsideluc
Have you ever heard of the "Getting in over your head?" Someone thinks they're ready for a huge burden, they want to adopt a child that almost no one else would, they dream of being the 'perfect parents' and do everything they can to make it happen, only to discover that they lack the capability and knowledge to do so. Maybe they did so out of base monetary desire, maybe I'm not wholly informed about the situation because I've only seen and heard about it a few times after-the-fact, but I don't think those are crocodile tears. I think they're people who meant well but weren't anywhere close to being prepared for the responsibility. This happens to tons of adoptive families, the only difference is that they were public about it and found out they had made honest mistakes after taking donations. They're making the right decision now, which if they were looking for money I imagine they would have just gone radio silent or tried to milk everything they could out of the process.
KenLaird
Here's my super hot take: Are they massive pieces of shit for treating a human child like some pet to be flashed around on social media and then picked up and left on the side of the road in a box labeled "Free to good home?" Absolutely. But, ultimately, if their love and affection for him is conditional on disability, that child is better off somewhere else. These people don't deserve to be parents, and I think that kid would have grown up miserably in their house.
VinchVolt
As an autistic person myself, I feel this does a good job explaining my own mixed feelings on the matter. All I can say is that I hope Huxley can grow up with people who will love him more than his shitty, ableist parents ever did.
ThisIsMyThrowaway
You changed my perspective on this. The fact that they did use them for fame and a source of income does show them as raising them for their benefit, not the kids. Him being given to other parents would be best for him, and I hope their further attempts to adopt gets decline.
Panuru
"rehomed"
I can't even.