THIS. Why is this OPs responsibility if there are other family members bashing him for “abandoning” his niece. If the other family members don’t adopt her they are abandoning her too so why is OP the bad guy for not wanting to adopt a child he isn’t responsible for. Just because it’s his niece doesn’t mean anything. OP DID NOT CREATE THIS CHILD. The parents of the child should have had a plan on what happens to her in an event like this. OPs sister should have named godparents like any normal person does when they have a child just in case a situation like this occurred. Godparents are there for this exact reason so someone in the family doesn’t feel obligated or pushed by other family to take care of a child they don’t want to or can’t care for. OP is NTA the parents should have had a plan and just because they didn’t doesn’t mean OP is obligated to raise a child