Many people plan to have a child, once they’ve settled down. Being able to afford to care for a kid—both financially and emotionally—takes some careful planning, but life doesn’t always go as planned. This was certainly the case for Jimmy Amisial who became a parent to a child he found in the street.
Amisial was home in Haiti at the tail-end of 2017, on a break from his studies at Texas State University. On New Year’s eve, he was en route to a party when he stopped to investigate a gathering crowd of people on his way. That moment of innocent curiosity would place his life delightfully but firmly in a place he yet had no plans for.
At the center of the gathered crowd was a crying baby, abandoned and in pain, bitten by ants, and lying in a pile of trash. None of the people present wanted to touch him, for fear of the baby being cursed. Amisial instinctively picked up the child. “He had no clothes on,” he recalls. “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.” Unbeknown to Amisial, the life of that lucky child was, in that moment, also set to change forever.
It turns out the young man was actually armed with presents at the time, as he was on his way to a party at the local orphanage. He would generously volunteer his time there, when he wasn’t studying. Amisial wasn’t the type to turn away from the suffering of others, and, unlike the crowd of people around him, he reported later that all he saw was a precious living soul like himself. He couldn’t let the baby die.
At home, Amisial and his mother, Elicie Jean, cleaned the rescued bundle, and tended to his wounds. Once the investigation surrounding the child’s abandonment began, Amisial was asked if he would serve as the baby’s legal guardian. Growing up, Amisial had already spent much time as a mentor to vulnerable children on the streets and in the orphanage where he volunteered. Being a strong role model and a father-figure was nothing new to him.
Amisial signed the papers granting him the privilege of becoming the child’s legal guardian in January 2018 without a second thought. He and his mother have been the sole carers of the child they named Emilio Angel Jeremiah ever since. “It hasn’t been easy, but it’s a blessing,” Amisial says. “One thing I know is that, you can never go wrong when you choose love.”
Amisial has worked hard over the past four years to legally adopt Emilio, who is now five. Amisial took a break from his studies to care for Emilio, and has since started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for the adoption, through which he has raised over $162 000. The cost of adoption is estimated at around $30 000, and Amisial says he will use the rest of the money to continue his studies in communication to continue to support Emilio, and he wants to donate a portion of the money raised to orphanages across Haiti. He would also like to move his mother and Emilio to the United States, to ensure their well-being and safety, now that their situation is known by everyone.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of something great and to me, that was the moment,” Amisial says. The chance meeting between the baby Emilio and Amisial, the man Emilio now calls Dad, is a beautiful reminder of how a single act of love and responsibility can actually change the world.
To track Amisial’s journey as a dad to Emilio, you can give him a follow on Instagram and Facebook. You can also help support the father and son through their GoFundMe campaign.
When Texas State University student Jimmy Amisial was visiting family back in Haiti, he found a baby abandoned in a trash can.
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He quickly rescued the child and has been caring for him ever since.
Now, Amisial is raising funds via a GoFundMe campaign to help legally adopt the child and provide for him.
Amisial wants to donate a portion of the funds he receives to orphanages that care for abandoned children across Haiti.
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Watch Amisial tell his and Emilio’s touching story on the news:
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Jimmy Amisial: GoFundMe | Instagram | Facebook
h/t: [CNN]
All images via Jimmy Amisial.
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