A popular YouTuber has revealed that she and her husband made the wrenching decision to give up the now 4-year-old boy they adopted in 2017 from China because his special needs—including autism—proved too overwhelming. And now Myka Stauffer is taking heavy criticism online, with hashtags such as cancelmykastauffer making the rounds, reports People. Stauffer and her husband, James, adopted the boy they named Huxley as a toddler, knowing he had problems. But she said the full extent of Huxley's behavioral issues didn't become clear until after he was in their Ohio home. "Do I feel like a failure as a mom? Like, 500 percent," Myka said in her video announcement. She said Huxley is now living permanently with a woman who has training as a medical professional.
As BuzzFeed reports in a comprehensive account, the couple's decision has caused a firestorm mainly because Myka Stauffer made the story of the adoption—even before it occurred—a big theme of her popular channel, which has more than 700,000 subscribers. Along the way, she landed big sponsorships and secured a high profile as an advocate of international adoption. "These facts, coupled with a long-simmering debate about the rights of children on social media, has led to an outcry against the couple and their decision to publicize and monetize their lives," writes Stephanie McNeal. In fact, a Change.org petition is calling for the couple to return any money they made related to the adoption of Huxley. (More YouTube stories.)
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