A Texas man who found a baby in a trash can during a 2017 visit to Haiti is now seeking to legally adopt the child.
Jimmy Amisial was visiting his hometown in Haiti during a break from his studies at Texas State University in San Marcos when he saw a crowd gathered by a trash can, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
A 4-month-old boy was inside.
“When I woke up that day, I was totally unaware that my life was about to change forever,” said Amisial, now 27.
“People were crowding round this bin and I heard them arguing about what to do with this tiny baby. Everyone was just staring at him — not a single soul wanted to help. He was crying and had no clothes on and I could see the pain in his eyes — I had to do something,” he said.
Amisial took the baby to the home of his mother, Elicie Jean, in Gonaives, Haiti. They washed and clothed the baby and fed him some milk before taking him to the doctor for treatment of ant bites.
The baby’s parents could not be located, which led a judge to ask Amisial if he wanted to become the child’s legal guardian.
“When I was asked to raise him, I stayed awake for days tossing and turning, trying to make a decision. I was already behind on my university fees and my family has always struggled to make ends meet,” he said.
“But I didn’t have a dad growing up, and this poor child was facing a lifetime of instability and uncertainty. Something inside was telling me that this had happened for a reason — so I took a leap of faith. Sometimes you don’t have to know what to do, you just have to be ready, to do it,” Amisial said.
He agreed to raise the child with the help of his mom, and so Emilio Angel Jeremiah had a home.
Amisial said since then, he has split his time between school and working in Gonaives, which has put him behind in his pursuit of a degree. But he has no regrets.
“I found him, he was four months old — now he’s nearly 5. It’s been an incredible journey and watching him grow up has been so rewarding — I’m very proud of him,” he said.
“I had to do what I had to do when no one else wanted to do it, and I’m so grateful for the past four-and-a-half years. I truly do feel like a father, and I’m excited to put pen to paper and make Emilio my son,” he said, noting that he is in the process of raising the money required to adopt the boy.
Jimmy Amisial didn’t expect his life to change forever whilst on holiday when he found a baby in the bin – and then later decided to adopt him. https://t.co/LtPcVoRQV6
— Metro (@MetroUK) July 27, 2022
The child is now starting school, Amisial said.
“I’m glad I got the opportunity to transform his life from being abandoned in the trash to being a wonderful treasure. It’s been fun seeing him grow — he’s a joy to be around,” he said.
“Mom loves him, the kids in the orphanage love him, and I love him as if he were my own. He really is a special little boy.”
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