Imagine being asked to take in your sister’s three young children after she passes away from a terminal illness. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, not for this 25-year-old woman who, along with her husband, is staunchly childfree. When her estranged sister, who has been diagnosed with brainstem glioma, asks her to take care of her kids, she flat-out refuses. The reasons she gives are shocking and have sparked a heated debate. Let’s dive into this emotional rollercoaster of a story.
The Heartbreaking Diagnosis
The Kids in Question
The Childfree Life
Religion and Language Barriers
Estranged Sisters
Standing Her Ground
Offering Help, But Not a Home ️♀️
The Final Decision
Mental Health Matters
A Plea for Understanding
A Life-Changing Decision: The Internet Weighs In
So, who’s really in the wrong here? The sister, who’s facing a terminal illness and desperate to secure a future for her children? Or the woman who refuses to take them in, citing her childfree lifestyle, mental health issues, and the fact that she barely knows her sister or the kids? We’ve collected some of the most thought-provoking responses from the internet for your reading pleasure. It’s time to decide: is she being heartless or just protecting her own life?
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NTA. Ancestry DNA kits could help find kids’ father(s).
Religious hypocrisy exposed in comment section
NAH for not taking in sister’s kids, but sister’s behavior is AH.
Suggest satanic initiation or religious upbringing to avoid taking kids
Friends should take the kids, not a stranger.
OP is NTA for not wanting to take in her sister’s kids.
Choosing not to take on family’s kids. NTA
NTA. OP’s sister had a tubal ligation at 22. It’s not her responsibility.
Choosing not to take in a dying sister’s kids. NTA.
NTA, but finding a family through church is risky
NTA. No bad reason to remain child free
NTA. Choosing to be child-free is a fundamental decision. DNA tests needed to find fathers.
Community support for kids’ religious upbringing suggested
Commenter and replies agree that others can raise the kids , with a touch of frustration
Compassionate suggestion for a difficult situation.
Heartbreaking situation, but NTA for not taking on children alone.
Being a parent requires readiness, willingness, and ability. NTA.
Don’t judge too quickly, taking care of kids is tough
Adopting a child is a big commitment. NTA for refusing.
Choosing not to raise someone else’s kids is understandable
Child-free couple shares advice on sister’s dying wish dilemma
Respectful refusal to take sister’s kids with controlling conditions. NTA.
Raising kids requires more than just basic needs. NTA.
Debate over stepfather’s obligation to raise non-biological children.
Standing your ground against a needy but greedy sister
Biological fathers should be given a chance to parent their kids before it’s too late.
A kind stranger offers to adopt all of the sister’s kids
Choosing to be child-free doesn’t make you selfish. NTA
Sister refuses to take dying sister’s kids. NTA. Suggestions given.
Friends step up to care for kids, relieving commenter’s burden
Blood doesn’t mean obligation. NTA can block everyone, friends help.
Engaging debate on whether OP should take in sister’s kids
Not responsible for sister’s kids. Refusing dying wish is okay.
Sneaky solution to avoid taking sister’s kids
Adoption requires genuine desire for kids. NAH for not adopting.
No a**holes here, but where are the closer friends and fathers?
Not the a**hole for refusing to take care of her sister’s kids
Choosing to be child-free after abuse is valid and kind. NTA.
Christianity, adoption, and anti-abortion beliefs – a delicate balance.
Strangers volunteering to take in the kids, NTA wins.
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User refuses to take sister’s kids, suggests she rely on God
Commenter suggests adoption or finding biological fathers for kids.
Commenter sympathizes with OP but questions sister’s religious beliefs
Block them all! DNA test for fathers. Take control.
Un-biological father not obligated to take dying sister’s kids
Setting boundaries is important. ‘No’ is a complete sentence.
Choosing the kids over an unwilling parent. NTA
Heartless friends harass sister’s kin. Should they take responsibility? ♀️
