Mum reunited in NZ with baby 'ashamed' of deserting family

Leo Forrest was born on 21st January 2015 with Down Syndrome in Armenia.

The woman who abandoned her newborn Down syndrome son and his Kiwi father says she is ashamed of what she did.

Ruzan Badalyan is the mother of baby Leo Forrest, who made headlines across the globe this year after his father, Samuel Forrest, raised more than $600,000 online to bring him back to New Zealand.

Mr Forrest claimed his wife gave him an ultimatum after their baby was born with Down syndrome in Armenia: it's me or the baby.

Last night the couple, who have reunited and live in New Zealand, spoke to TV3's 3D about the ordeal.

Ms Badalyan said when she gave birth to her son, the expressions on the doctors' faces were as if the baby was dead, and most disabled babies born in Armenia were sent to orphanages.

Mr Forrest said after his son's birth, doctors said: "You've got 10 days to decide if you're going to keep him or send him to an orphanage".

He said he wanted to keep baby Leo but his wife would not even look at him, and threatened divorce if he kept him.

Ms Badalyan reunited with her son and husband three and a half weeks after Leo's birth, and said she was now ashamed of abandoning them and serving divorce papers on Mr Forrest.

"But at that moment it was the only decision for me. I couldn't see there is any other solution. Don't judge and you will not be judged, because you will never know what you will do ..." the trained psychologist said.

Ms Badalyan said the money raised was not a factor in her decision to reunite with her family, and the funds were for Leo. Mr Forrest said the money had been put in a trust, he did not have access to it, and some of the funds would go to Armenian children with Down syndrome.