Tough situation, but respect for trying to provide for your kids.
Unfortunately we hear a lot of stories about shitty parents leaving their kids in the car while they go to the bar, or the casino, or to get their nails done. So it’s no surprise that Georgia police were worried when they got a call about three young children who were left alone at a McDonald’s.
But as it turns out, dad just needed somewhere safe to leave them while he interviewed for a job.
According to the New York Post, 24-year old Chris Louis was arrested on March 22 after leaving his three kids, including a 1-year old, 6-year old and a 10-year old, unattended at a McDonald’s (which had a playplace, by the way) while he went to a job interview.
Louis reportedly dropped the kids off after walking them to McDonald’s from his apartment, and returned to check on them before leaving again. He then returned to find police waiting for him, and was arrested for deprivation of a minor.
But the internet is rallying behind the father of 3, arguing that he was forced to make a tough decision while simply trying to get a job to provide for his kids.
As many of the comments pointed out, he left them in a place with air conditioner, a bathroom, and adults nearby who could help in case of an emergency, as opposed to simply leaving them alone at his apartment. And while some people were uneasy with the idea of leaving the 1-year old behind, they pointed out that he was forced to make a tough decision in order to try to get a job, and that the 10-year old was old enough to take care of the infant for a short period of time.
Well the entire story got the attention of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, who launched a GoFundMe for Louis to help out with his childcare expenses:
“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc. This GoFundMe is set in place to help this man. I have spoken with GoFundMe and they will get the funds to Chris and his family. I haven’t spoken to Chris yet, but I hope to do so soon.”
The GoFundMe has already raised over $38,000 towards the $50,000 goal, and in the meantime the internet is predicting that the man will soon be flooded with job offers after showing his willingness to work at a time when so many don’t want to:
Should he have been arrested? No, of course not.
But the sliver lining here is that the charges will either be dropped or pled down to the level of a parking ticket and he's gonna be swimming in job offers soon if he isn't already.
— Tortoise Enthusiast (@biglargeturtle) April 1, 2025
And others are praising the man for being present in his life after (doing some quick math here) having a child at just 14 years old:
“The real story should be this guy had a kid at 14 and is still in that child’s life 10 years later. That rarely happens. Now he isn’t because he got arrested for nothing. Great job.”
We’ll have to see whether the charges are ultimately dropped, but hopefully the father of three is able to find a job and provide for his family – and the money raised by AB no doubt will help.
