Man Who Wants To Adopt Abandoned 'Cursed' Baby Raises $127,000 For Adoption

A man who is currently in the process of adopting an abandoned baby he found in the trash during a vacation several years ago has raised more than $127,000 for the adoption fees.

Jimmy Amisial spotted a large crowd in the city of Gonaives in Haiti while he was on his way to a New Year's Eve party to ring in 2018, CNN reported. Amisial, at the time a 22-year-old Texas State University communications student who went back to his homeland on a break from school, discovered that the crowd was gathered around a baby.

"It was in a pile of trash crying, and there wasn't a single soul who wanted to do anything about it," Amisial recalled, according to the outlet.

The locals were afraid to touch the infant because they feared the child was either cursed or evil, according to Amisial.

Amisial, who was accepted to his school with the help of his volunteer work, ended up taking the baby and bringing the boy to his mother, Elicie Jean. She was reportedly shocked that her son returned from a party with a 3-month-old infant.

Amisial reported the situation to authorities and kept the baby overnight while police conducted an investigation.

A judge then showed up at Jean's house the next day and asked Amisial if he wanted temporary custody of the child since no one had come forward to claim him, Amisial said.

"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. I've always wanted to be a part of something great and to me, that was the moment," he told CNN.

Due to the requirements of his student visa program, Amisial returned to Texas. The child was left with Jean, but Amisial continued to provide financial support.

Amisial started the process to formally adopt the baby, whom he had named Emilio Angel Jeremiah, a year later in 2019.

"It wasn't that easy. In Haiti, it's hard to do government stuff. When I started the process, it seemed fine, but then they asked me for a lot of money but I didn't have the funds," he said.

It costs over $40,000 to adopt a child from Haiti without including airfare, lodging and other fees associated with travel, according to adoption agency All God's Children International.

Amisial decided to take a break from school in 2020 to focus on working so he could save up money to adopt Emilio and support his family in Haiti.

He set up a GoFundMe campaign on July 27 to help raise money for Emilio's adoption fees. The initial goal was reportedly $60,000, but backers have raised $127,000 as of this writing.

Amisial, who is now 27 and works as a part-time landscaper as well as a delivery assistant, plans to use the extra money to fund Emilio's education and support orphanages in Haiti.

"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," he said.

Amisial also has dreams of starting a nonprofit to help orphans and needy families in his home country.