I am the most hated mother in the world!
Mum who took picture of Down’s boy in a washing machine forced to flee home
THE Scots mother of a little boy with Down’s syndrome claims she has become ‘the world’s most hated mum’ after she innocently posted a photo of him inside a washing machine on Facebook.
Last month Courtney Stewart’s inquisitive toddler climbed into the unplugged appliance and, in a game of peek-a-boo, pulled the door to.
Miss Stewart, 21, snapped a photo of two-year-old Caleb inside and immediately uploaded it as an example of how mischievous he had become.
What she did not expect was that an anonymous ‘friend’ on Facebook would report her to police for cruelty. Or that the photo she believed was harmless would spread online – provoking controversy worldwide and a visit from social services.
Subsequently a soundless 50- second video of her jumping up and down with Caleb on a bouncy castle emerged, with critics claiming she was being too boisterous with him.
Police and social services visited but did not raise any concerns with Miss Stewart over her parenting.
Yet last night she revealed that she, her partner, Caleb and his sixmonth-old sister had to flee their two-bedroom house in Erskine, Renfrewshire, after receiving terrifying threats from trolls who called her ‘ sick and evil’. They only returned to their home last week.
Miss Stewart said: ‘I have no idea who reported my photo, but within hours I’d been visited by police.
‘A cruel Facebook page demonising me because I have a disabled child was set up in my name and the photo and video went viral, making me the world’s most hated mum. I have never cried so much.’
Cuddling Caleb, who had lifesaving heart surgery shortly after birth, she said: ‘ The abuse was horrifying, shocking. Someone even said that if social services didn’t remove Caleb from me, they would do. We were so frightened that police had to watch our home.’
She added: ‘ Of course I regret posting the photo. I made a naive, foolish mistake and I apologise. But I never meant any harm. Caleb was never distressed or in danger.
‘On the video, what people couldn’t hear because the sound was removed was Caleb laughing during our rough and tumble game.
‘I didn’t deserve to be judged a monster. Most upsetting is the thought that people pity Caleb having me as a mum. He is a such a happy little boy and he couldn’t have a more loving family.
‘He loves games such as peek-aboo. He also adores helping me with the washing and folding clothes. The washing machine door was never closed. It could never have accidentally started as I was waiting for a new machine to be delivered and it was unplugged. I also made it clear he is never to do it again.’
The ex-retail assistant was 18 when she became pregnant. Three days before his birth at 34 weeks doctors told her he had Down’s and a life-threatening heart problem.
‘No one associated Down’s with a mum as young as me. But I’d felt him kicking – there was never any question I wouldn’t love him. At birth we immediately bonded.’
Two weeks later her relationship with Caleb’s father, who she had been with since she was 16, broke down.
At the same time Caleb had openheart surgery to fit a pacemaker. He was in hospital for four months. She said: ‘It was hard but I adore being a mum. Caleb is brilliant. He is walking and has a few words but mostly we communicate using the sign language Makaton. He’s not Caleb who is disabled but simply my adorable boisterous little boy.’
When Caleb was nine months old his mother met her partner Kerran, 20, a labourer, and they now have a daughter, Keira, six months. Keira does not have Down’s.
Miss Stewart said: ‘Doctors said I had a high chance of having another Down’s syndrome baby. But I refused all the tests because I would never abort a disabled child.’
She has since deleted her Facebook account. ‘I’d never want to post another photo on that site. And I hope the person who reported me feels satisfied at the devastation they caused to my family.’
‘Adorable and boisterous’