God can turn tragedy into triumph. And that is exactly what He did in December 2017 for Jimmy and Emilio — a very special pair with an incredible story of how God brought them together. During a break from Texas State University, where he studies communications and electronic media, Jimmy Amisial took a trip to his home in Haiti. While there, he visited the nearby orphanage where he’d been volunteering since he was a teenager. And this time, he had gifts to deliver to the children.
Before Jimmy arrived, he came across a big group of people gathered around a trash can. He worked his way to the front of the crowd and discovered what they were all looking at. They’d found a baby in the trash. A 4-month-old child lay inside the waste can!
“People were crowding ‘round this [trash] bin, and I heard them arguing about what to do with this tiny baby,” said Jimmy. “Everyone was just staring at him-not a single soul wanted to help.”
God’s Plan for Baby Found in the Trash
Jimmy Amisial, mature beyond his age, stepped up and took the infant home. There, he and his mother, Elicie Jean, bathed, clothed, and fed the precious baby boy. Though an investigation occurred, the baby’s parents were never found. And, without any other option, the judge asked Jimmy to assume guardianship of the abandoned baby found in the trash.
Jimmy’s family had always struggled financially, and he was behind on payments to the university. But he simply could not walk away from the baby, who ironically seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Having grown up without a father, Jimmy feared the child would have a very bleak future without his intervention.
“Something inside was telling me that this had happened for a reason, so I took a leap of faith,” said Jimmy. He named the baby boy “Emilio.”
An Extra Special Father and Son
With the help of his mother, Jimmy has continued to care for Emilio in the five years since that fateful day he found the baby in the trash. Jim splits his time between the United States and Gonaives, Haiti. Now, Jimmy wants to make their father-son relationship official through adoption. Jimmy describes Emilio as a “bright spark”-a musical little boy who is loved by all those who know him.
“I’m glad I got the opportunity to transform his life from being abandoned in the trash to being a wonderful treasure,” Jimmy said. “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.”
Parenting isn’t about legalities, logistics, or money. It’s about providing love and care, and that is exactly what Jimmy has always done for Emilio. He dove right in even when his circumstances seemed far from perfect to adopt a child. Because whether he knew it or not, God knew he was the perfect person for the job!