When Adrienne and Louis Williamson decided to bring a new life into the world, they knew there were risks. But they were careful to do everything they could to ensure the child they conceived was healthy and happy. Louise ate whole foods, abstained from alcohol and caffeine, and exercised throughout her pregnancy. The couple even took advantage of all of the ultrasound and genetic testing resources they could, and by all accounts the pregnancy was going off without a hitch. But on the day Louise finally delivered the baby, their dream turned into a nightmare when their newborn baby girl was born with a strong moral compass and a desire to see good done in the world.
Oof. This is as devastating as it gets.
“Honestly, had I known I was bringing a child into this world who expects it to be a fair, just, and hopeful place, I’m not sure I would have gone through with it,” said Adrienne, tears flowing from her eyes. “As a parent, you think you can handle anything. A disability. A deformity. A medical condition. But a child who’s born with a sense of purpose who thinks it’s still worth fighting for truth and justice? No one is prepared for that.”
Adrienne and Louis went from dreaming of raising a regular daughter who enjoys playing volleyball and ends up working at a bank to living the nightmare of having a child whose naive optimism will lead her to go to Evergreen College and major in environmental studies. A child cursed to trust hitchhikers and donate her time to political canvassing and trying to reason with angry strangers online. The couple can look forward to countless nights of having to explain to their sensitive, hopeful daughter that God is dead and that attempting to do good in the world only leads down a path of disillusionment and deep frustration. And the worst part is that no one would ever want to adopt a child with such a pronounced sense of moral obligation and expectation that people be treated fairly, so they’re stuck with her for life.
This is as bad as it gets.
Having a child who is born with hope that the world will make sense and that justice will prevail is a fate you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. We can only imagine the challenges these parents will deal with over the next 18 years and beyond. Please keep them in your thoughts as they navigate this difficult time.
