The adoption tale of Luca Trapanese and his daughter Alba has gone viral for many reasons, but perhaps most notably because of the rarity with which social services will award custody to a single, homosexual male.

However, they did make an exception for Luca. and we couldn’t be happier that they did.

Italian Luca, 41, wrote a book about being a parent to Alba, a girl with Down syndrome, and the challenges he faced along the way, as reported by the BBC.

Trapanese claimed in a radio appearance that his situation “destroys stereotypes about fatherhood, religion, and family.”

Adoptions by gay or single parents in Italy have historically proved difficult.

“I was told that I’d only be given a child with an illness, a severe disability, or behavioral problems,” he told the BBC. “I was absolutely OK with that.”