Most people would’ve walked away. But when Jimmy Amisial returned to his home in Haiti for a holiday break in 2017, he stumbled upon something that would change his life forever—a 4-month-old baby abandoned in a trash pile, crying and covered in fire ants.

Locals, gripped by superstition, were too afraid to help. But Jimmy, then just 22 and a student at Texas State University, couldn’t turn his back. Without knowing how he’d manage, he picked up the child and took him home.

That baby, now named Emilio Angel Jeremiah, became a turning point in Jimmy’s life. Local authorities asked if he would consider becoming Emilio’s legal guardian—and after some soul-searching, Jimmy said yes.

Today, Jimmy is 27 and still juggling classes in the U.S. while supporting Emilio, who lives with Jimmy’s mother in Haiti. Despite the financial and emotional weight of his decision, Jimmy is proud of the role he’s taken on. “I had no idea how I would do it,” he said, “but I knew I couldn’t let him go back into the trash.”

To help with the costs of formally adopting Emilio and bringing him to the U.S., Jimmy started a fundraiser that has already raised $60,000. He’s hoping the rest will follow—and that soon, he and Emilio will finally be under the same roof.

What started as a heartbreaking discovery has turned into a powerful story of love, courage, and unexpected fatherhood. Jimmy says he has no regrets.