A YouTube Star Revealed She "Rehomed" Her Adopted Son With Autism
"Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500 percent."
- A YouTube star has revealed that she "rehomed" her adopted son with autism.
- Myka Stauffer posted the update in a new video on YouTube alongside her husband James.
- They adopted their son Huxley two years ago from China.
YouTube star Myka Stauffer shared some gut-wrenching news with fans this week: She and her husband have “rehomed” her adopted son. Stauffer opened up about the experience in a new video, titled, “an update on our family.” In it, Stauffer and her husband James said they chose to “rehome” their son Huxley, who they adopted two years ago from China. The video has prompted backlash online, since the Stauffers' adoption journey and ensuing challenges with Huxley had been a huge part of Myka's channel and her monetized social posts about parenting.
Huxley has autism, and Myka says that she and James didn’t know what it would really be like to take care of him. "Once Huxley came home, there was a lot more special needs that we weren't aware of, and that we were not told," James said in the video.
"For us, it's been really hard hearing from the medical professionals, a lot of their feedback, and things that have been upsetting. We've never wanted to be in this position. And we've been trying to get his needs met and help him out as much as possible... We truly love him."
Myka doubled down on James’ comments. “There's not an ounce of our body that doesn't love Huxley with all of our being," she said, tearing up. "There wasn't a minute that I didn't try our hardest and I think what Jim is trying to say is that after multiple assessments, after multiple evaluations, numerous medical professionals have felt that he needed a different fit and that his medical needs, he needed more."
Myka made it clear that this has not been easy on her family. "Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500 percent," she said. But Myka added that Huxley is now living with a new family in a “forever home.”
"The last couple months have been like the hardest thing I could have ever imagined to going to choosing to do because ultimately, after pouring our guts and our heart into this little boy," she said. "He is thriving, he is happy, he is doing really well, and his new mommy has medical professional training, and it is a very good fit." Myka and James have four other children and, on Wednesday, Myka updated her Twitter bio to say that she only has four children.
The backlash has been swift.
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The situation with myka stauffer is so upsetting. When you adopt a child you act as though you literally gave birth to that child and they’re fully yours. They aren’t a dog you adopted from the pound that you get to return in 14 days if they aren’t a good fit... grossMay 28, 2020
I’m finna drag this bitch, a thread.Fam, meet Myka Stauffer, the YouTube influencer. She decided to adopt a little boy from China with autism. He also has reactive attachment disorder which is characterized by extreme separation issues due to trauma and neglect (1) pic.twitter.com/hzhVwvsqpXMay 28, 2020
.@MykaStauffer, as a mom of 6 who adopted our sassafras at 2 from foster care—when your kid has autism, apraxia, and is nonverbal, you defy the docs’ prognosis and work your ass off in therapy until she talks and reads. Real moms double down, they don’t cut and run. #mykastauffer pic.twitter.com/07mZHbJusOMay 28, 2020
We’re still processing the continued murder of black and brown people and then I see this #mykastauffer situation. What she did exploiting Huxley and then discarding him when the situation ceased being convenient is another example of how racism manifests. #hopeheissafeMay 28, 2020
Myka hasn’t addressed the criticism yet, but she and James said in their video that they wouldn’t talk publicly about the situation any more.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.