A dad went viral after sharing an emotional account of his life as a single dad since his baby mama abandoned him and his baby girl. His story inspired more dads to take on the challenge of single parenthood.
In 2015, Las Vegas dad Richard Johnson experienced the happiest day of his life when he welcomed his little girl Persephone. However, his excitement turned to sadness a month later after his partner walked out of their lives for good.
Reality dawned on him when he found himself alone with the then-one-month-old born with two holes in her heart. The dad had no choice but to update his parenthood knowledge and fill the void in his daughter’s life.
Dad’s Emotional Post about Raising His Baby Daughter Alone after Her Mom Left Them
FACING PARENTHOOD HEAD-ON
He spent hours scanning through online resources and videos about raising a child, doing tasks like braiding, and learning how to deal with common parental issues. Eventually, he stumbled upon the Facebook group Life of Dad, where he got to connect with other dads going through similar issues.
Reading their stories and how they overcame certain challenges gave him the boost he needed to keep riding on as a father. Before long, he got the hang of fatherhood, thanks to the shared experiences of other helpful dads on the platform.
Once he was able to set his life back on track, Johnson did not hesitate to give back to the community that saved him at his lowest point.
10 MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD
In November 2015, the dad of one shared an emotional post on the Facebook group, recounting his parenting journey and struggles as a single dad while appreciating the community for helping him and Persephone through a difficult time.
The then-21-year-old dad began by introducing himself and his daughter. He then explained how his baby’s mom left them for unknown reasons, adding that he suspected postpartum depression played a part.
Johnson went on to detail their journey in the last ten months, including how the Life of Dad group came to the rescue. He wrote:
“I always looked forward to photo submission and reading the stories of some of the awesome dads out there in this community. You truly helped my daughter and me through a difficult time.”
The man admitted they remained happy together even as Persephone clocked ten months. Over time, his friends began turning to him for parenting advice owing to the good job he did at raising his little girl alone.
A NETWORK OF SUPPORT
It was all thanks to the Life of Dad Facebook group. The group anchor was only glad they could be of help to the single dad, saying:
“Wow, Richard. This is such a great message to receive. We’re so glad we were able to play even a small role in helping you with the beginnings of parenting.”
Other group members joined the emotional outpouring, commending the Las Vegas man for being a great dad able to harness the resources at his disposal. One comment read:
“You have my highest respect, Richard, as do all the single parents male and female, trying to raise a child alone. I know because I did it when I was younger. Not an easy task.”
The dad received so much support from netizens that he was forced to open a special Facebook page dedicated to his life as a single dad.
GROWING UP STRONG
In the years that followed, he shared photos of Persephone in her different growing phases, crossing important milestones and bonding with him.
He also shared updates on her health, including her successful surgery to fix the holes in her heart. In 2017, the proud dad announced he found his daughter a new mom, who loved the little girl as much as he did.
A year later, the dad revealed his family was taking a break from the platform and would no longer share updates about their lives.
He also thanked fans for following him and Persephone through the years with their kind words and show of support, urging everyone to keep writing their own stories.
