Man who rescued baby abandoned in a trash can is now taking him home

Parenthood isn't just about having biological children, but it also involves fulfilling the responsibility of nurturing and educating a child. Ever since he was a teenager, Jimmy Amisial volunteered at orphanages, often gifting bracelets made from Doritos bags to kids and raising money to support them. But in December 2017, an unexpected incident transformed the life of the Haitian student and taught him the true meaning of fatherhood.

Amisial was on a break from Texas State University where he studied communication and electronic media, and was staying at his home in Haiti when he spotted a commotion on his way to a New Year's Eve party. The crowd was staring at a four-month-old baby covered in fire ants and trash in a dustbin. Agitated at the dispassion of the crowd, then 22-year-old Jimmy, stepped forward, scooped the baby out of the trash, and took him home, CNN reported. “When I woke up that day I was unaware my life was going to change forever,” Jimmy told the news outlet. Jimmy was enraged since people weren't ready to touch the child based on local superstitions about evil spirits. “He had no clothes on. He had fire ants crawling all over him because he’d been there for a couple of hours. When I picked him up he immediately stopped crying,” he recalled.

Back at his house, Jimmy's mother, Elicie Jean, was shocked to realize that he had returned with a wounded baby, but the mother-son duo washed and clothed the baby before feeding him milk, According to Good News Network. Jimmy also got in touch with the police who couldn't find the baby’s parents despite investigating. The following day, a judge came to their house and asked Jimmy if he wanted to become the child's guardian. “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,” Jimmy told CNN. “I’ve always wanted to be a part of something great and to me, that was the moment.”

It had always been a challenge for his family to make ends meet and on top of it, Jimmy had to pay his university fees. Nevertheless, Jimmy took a leap of faith and returned to Texas leaving the baby in the care of his mother, while he arranged financial support to raise the child.

By 2019, he was so attached to the little boy that he decided to officially adopt him. “I’m glad I got the opportunity to transform his life from being abandoned in the trash to being a wonderful treasure,” he told Good News Network. “I truly do feel like a father, and I’m excited to put pen to paper and make Emilio my son. I just need to raise the money first.” He named the baby “Emilio Angel Jeremiah,” and set out to complete the legal formalities, which wasn’t an easy process.

In 2022, Jimmy’s lawyer, Esther Chery, told CNN, that the adoption process is usually very expensive. According to an estimate, it costs more than $40,000 to adopt a child from Haiti which excludes things like airfare and lodging. So, in 2020, Jimmy put his studies on hold and started working as a part-time landscaper and delivery assistant to raise funds for the adoption. According to CNN, he also set up a GoFundMe page that year to raise funds for Emilio’s adoption and was able to raise much more than his initial target of $60,000. He said that he’ll use the extra money to support Emilio’s education and to support other children in orphanages.

Jimmy also told NBC News that his dream is to host his own television show someday. He also became the founder of @4thelovefoundation, a community that takes care of needy children, orphans, and kids who have been abandoned by their families, by providing them food, medical care, shelter, and love.

In September 2023, Jimmy celebrated Emilio's sixth birthday, and Inspired by his life-changing experience, he told CNN, “I want him to be happy. I want to teach him how to love and I want him to know that even though he was left alone, he’s not alone.”