My brother got a girl pregnant like the day before he left to be in the marines. (They think the conception happened when they were saying goodbye).

He goes off to boot camp and finds out later she's having the baby. He can't just walk away from the marines so he tells her he can send her child support if she decides to keep it. (Also- 9/11 happens like right after too and he is sent overseas)

She kept the baby and he paid for what ever the baby needed (like really military people are underpaid and he was giving her at least half of his earnings.

Then when she found out from the doctor (after raising the baby for 2 years) that he had special needs she got in touch with my brother while he was in afghanistan and said she was giving the baby away, and he would have to sign the papers as well.

He didn't really feel like there was anything he could do, he wasn't able to come home, he had never even met the child, so he decided to just do what she thought was best.

The baby went to an Amish farm where apparently it's common for them to adopt special needs children and raise them without technology and they supposedly have good lives there..

But the only time I have ever heard my brother cry was when he told us he was signing the papers. That was a long ass time ago and he's married with two other sons now and one of them was born on the same day as the baby he gave up.

He still gets emotional about it. He still takes his baby pictures out and looks at them.

I don't think he will ever forgive himself, and he won't ever forgive that girl for raising the kid for years before deciding to give him up.

I don't know what the point of me talking about this is but man I just wish there was some way we could find out if the kid is okay. I wish I could give my brother some relief from worrying about him.