Reddit User, Grace, asked the community if she was in the wrong for not wanting to give her niece back to her sister after taking care of her for years.
She Raised Her Niece
Grace has been caring for her niece, who is nearly 7, for the past five years.
Abandoned on the Doorstep
The child was abandoned on Grace’s doorstep by her sister who was experiencing mental health issues and was unable to provide a stable environment for her daughter.
A Loving Home
Grace took her niece in without hesitation and has since provided her with a loving and secure home.
No Contact With Sister
After Grace’s sister left her daughter with her, she did not provide any contact information, making it impossible to reach her.
Searching For Her Sister
Despite searching for her, Grace was unable to find any leads.
Grace Takes Custody of the Child
Left with no other option, Grace took full custody of her niece and has been her primary caregiver ever since.
Watching the Child Blossom
Over the past five years, Grace has witnessed her niece’s growth into an incredible young girl.
Always By Her Side
She has given her niece a stable and secure environment and has been present for all of her milestones.
From Homework to Birthdays
Grace has taken her niece to school, assisted her with homework, taken her to doctors’ appointments, and celebrated her birthdays with her.
A Bolt Out of the Blue
Recently, Grace has been contacted by her sister, who has shared that she has improved her mental health and wishes to regain custody of her daughter.
Her Sister Wants Her Daughter Back
While Grace is pleased to hear about her sister’s progress, she is not yet prepared to give up custody of her niece.
Like Mother and Daughter
The child has become an integral part of Grace’s life, and she loves her deeply, akin to her own child.
Taking Legal Action
Her sister has been issuing threats of legal action if Grace does not relinquish custody of her daughter.
Prepared to Fight
Despite her sister’s threats, Grace remains unafraid.
She has a close friend who is a custody case expert and is prepared to fight for her niece’s best interests.
She’s the Only Mother She’s Known
While Grace acknowledges that her sister is the biological mother of her niece, she believes that she is the only mother figure that the child has known over the past five years.
A Heartbreaking Dilemma
Grace is torn between her affection for her niece and her loyalty to her sister.
She wonders if she is in the wrong for refusing to return her sister’s child.
What Redditors Said
Many Redditors believe that Grace is not in the wrong for refusing to give her sister’s daughter back to her.
They argue that she has effectively become the child’s parent over the past five years, providing her with a stable and loving home.
Some users suggested that Grace should consult a lawyer to determine the legal options available to her to protect her niece’s best interests.
Others recommended that she document all contact with her sister and prepare for potential legal action. While Grace’s sister may be the biological mother, they argue that the child’s well-being should take precedence over her mother’s desires.
One user wrote, “You are the only mother she has ever known. Fight this with every ounce of strength and every penny you have. Well done and good luck!”
Another user wrote “Has your sister done anything to prove she’s better? Honestly even if she has, you stepped up and took care of her child, you have effectively become her mother because it’s not like she has many memories of her birth mother. Do what is best for your niece, and what’s best never involves being moved out of a loving home into an unknown environment.”
What do you think? What would you do if you were Grace?
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The post Mother Left Her Baby Daughter on Her Sister’s Doorstep – Now She Wants Her Back first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Teerawat Anothaistaporn. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
This post is based on Reddit but the names have been changed.