At the age of 22, Jimmy’s life is completely transformed overnight when he finds an abandoned 4-month-old baby boy. And what at first seemed like a challenging journey turned into a valuable gift and life lesson. Jimmy learns to never underestimate his strength and determination because when life presents us with difficult decisions, he also gives us the strength to overcome them and thrive.
We are deeply moved and inspired by Jimmy’s unconditional love and devotion. And in the gallery we want to share the story of a child whose destiny was completely changed thanks to the huge heart of a young man.
We think stories like this only happen in the movies, but Jimmy lived it for real. It all started when the young man, who was studying in America at the time, returned home to Haiti to visit for Christmas. On New Year’s Eve, he visited the orphanage where he worked to bring gifts to the little children there. Little did he know that soon his fate would change.
As he was walking towards the orphanage, he heard loud voices coming from a group of people. He approached, and when he asked what had happened, a woman said, “There’s a baby in the garbage!” As he got closer to the scene of the accident, he “witnessed a crying little boy on top of a large pile of garbage.” The baby had no clothes and fire ants were crawling all over his tiny body.
The local crowd did nothing to help the baby, thinking it might be cursed. They whispered things to each other like, ”I’m not going to touch that baby. I don’t know who put that baby there.
Jimmy’s heart skipped a beat and his eyes watered at the sight. He was willing to do anything to get the innocent baby out of this situation immediately. So almost instinctively he rushed to the rescue, picked up the child and went straight to his mother’s home to clean, dress and feed the crying toddler.
The next day they go to the hospital and treat the baby’s ant bites and allergic reactions. Without a mother, father or relative to take him home, Jimmy took the necessary legal steps to protect the child and became his legal guardian.
The young man spends many sleepless nights wondering what to do now that life has presented him with this life-changing dilemma. He never expected that he would face such a situation. After all, he was just a student visiting his family for a few days – not ready to be a parent. At the same time, however, his inner voice tells him that fate has connected him to this baby for a reason.
In the end, Jimmy decides to pluck up the courage to stand up and face the situation with determination. He was not going to abandon this innocent soul. He named him Emilio Angel and took him forever into his heart.
However, the student’s future is already filled with uncertainty and confusion. He has no idea how he will take care of a small child and how he will raise him, but he is determined to do so at any cost. He knows that his path will be guided and every step he takes will be illuminated during this challenging journey.
And that’s exactly what happens. Whenever he has to fly back to school in America, his family takes care of Emilio. His friends provide clothes, monetary donations and prayers. Jimmy and Emilio are surrounded by love and are blessed to have the full support of their loved ones.
But despite receiving support, Jimmy still faced economic hardship. After all, it’s not easy raising a child when you’re still in school and trying to figure out your life. So he decides to drop out of school and take care of the baby full-time.
Today, Jimmy is a dedicated father and wouldn’t trade his life with Emilio for anything in the world. This journey has taught him not to expect anything from the future and to be ready to meet life’s challenges at any time and with open arms.
Jimmy’s unique experience has also taught him that sometimes the universe disguises its blessings as challenges. And only when we decide to accept them do we realize that they are actually a gift.
Whenever life gets tough and especially tough, Jimmy remembers this quote: “Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” And this gives him all the strength he needs to continue this wonderful journey.