Jimmy Amisial was a 22-year-old young man visiting Haiti when his life was changed forever. He had returned to his homeland during a break from Texas State University and was walking to a New Year’s Eve party when he spotted a large crowd and decided to see what the commotion was. “When I got to the place where the people were making noise I saw a baby. It was in a pile of trash crying, and there wasn’t a single soul who wanted to do anything about it,” he recalled. The baby was in serious need of help, but the onlookers were too afraid to touch him, believing him to be cursed. “He had no clothes on. He had fire ants crawling all over him because he’s been there for a couple of hours,” said Jimmy. “When I picked him up, he immediately stopped crying.”

Jimmy took the baby to his mother’s house, where they cleaned him up and tended to his ant bites. They filed a report with the police. But when nobody came to claim the child, Jimmy was asked to decide whether he wanted temporary custody of him. “After he asked me that question, I had a lot of sleepless nights. I tossed and turned but my mother reminded me things happen for a reason. I’ve always wanted to be a part of something great and to me, that was the moment,” he said. Jimmy named the baby Emilio and returned to Texas, leaving little Emilio with his mother while he sent money to support them. Eventually, Jimmy had to leave school so he could support his mother and Emillio. “It was kind of hard for me to go to school. I had to take care of him so I dropped out of school to find jobs,” he told The Independent.

Despite the hardship, Jimmy pursued adopting Emilio. He started a GoFundMe which raised $140,000. Turmoil in Haiti, however, has made the process very difficult. Jimmy is able to FaceTime Emilio during the week and visits him when he can, although that has become more and more difficult. Jimmy’s hope is to bring Emilio and his mother back to the States. In the meantime, Jimmy’s mother also continues to help with raising Emilio. Jimmy described the difference Emilio has made in his life. “He loves watching ‘Tom and Jerry’ and he loves playing the guitar and singing. He’s such a joyful kid and he loves sports. He plays soccer and basketball.

My mom and I had an automatic connection with him. He calls me Dad. Even though I’m his temporary guardian, I still consider myself his dad.” Jimmy has shared his story with the goal of spreading hope. “I shared the story to bring awareness, it was just a message of love. I’m glad I got the opportunity to transform his life…I will teach him how to be kind, how to be loved, how to do well.”