A woman has sparked an important conversation after bravely admitting she doesn’t want to take on responsibility for her neurodivergent nephew after his guardians pass away. Feeling pressurised into taking over his care, she confessed she’s unsure about how to navigate the situation.

Sharing the dilemma on social media, the woman wrote: “My in-laws are raising their special needs grandson and it is expected that my husband and I take over his care when my in-laws pass or can’t anymore.

“My husband is all for it but that's because he doesn’t take care of any of the caring for our own kids and he won’t for his nephew either – that’s my job.” The frustrated aunt explained that her nephew is nonverbal and is unable to take care of himself at all, relying on his grandparents to take care of everything, including all of his hygienic needs.

Read more: Sign up to Mirror US's SMS updates for the latest straight from the newsroom

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US.

She added: “Here’s where I get irritated, nephew's mom is clinically crazy and is incapable of caring for him but my in-laws pushed for the father to give up custody because they didn’t like him.

“After so much pressure and lawyering up from my in-laws, he caved and gave up right when my nephew was about 2, he’s 16 now. If they hadn’t been like that, his father could have been taking care of him. Now, I have to? I’m raising my kids to grow up and move out, and quite frankly I don’t want to have to raise an adult for the rest of their or my life.”

People reading the Reddit post were quick to offer their sympathies and assure her that she wasn’t in the wrong for feeling like this, with many suggesting that she needs to seriously consider her future.

One person wrote: “Have your nephew stay the weekend with your husband, and you stay out of the house. Let him see firsthand, what living with him is like. Spending a few hrs with a child with special needs is 1000% different than raising one 24/7. My son's father won’t take him just for this reason.”

And someone else replied: “You need to make it very clear that you will leave your husband if this responsibility gets dumped on you. And you need to be prepared to go through with that. Absent of this resolve, you will wind up taking care of this kid.”

Do you have a story to share? Email eve.wagstaff@reachplc.com