When This Student Found a Baby Covered in Ants in The Trash, He Did What no one Else Dared To Do

When a 22-year-old Haitian student, then, visited his hometown, he witnessed something unforgettable. A baby boy was lying in the trash with ants on his skin, while people stood there, reluctant to touch the infant. Instead of walking away, the man did what no one else dared to do.

They say it’s easy to go with the flow, and going against it takes courage only a few people have. When a person decides to do something others are afraid to do, some people give them judgmental looks, while others motivate and support them. The man in today’s story swam against the current when he saw a distressed baby covered in ants, lying in the trash. With the help of his family, he did what others around him were afraid to do.

In 2017, 22-year-old Jimmy Yamasal, who studied communication and electronic media at Texas State University, came to his home in Haiti for his vacation. When he discovered something that changed his life, like every time he visited his hometown, Yamasal had brought gifts from the states for the children at the orphanage next door. Since he was a teenager, he loved spending time with the kids and had a soft spot in his heart for them.

While Yamasal was on his way to the orphanage, something strange caught his attention. He saw a crowd of people around a trash can, who were looking at it with eyes wide open. Curious, he made his way to the crowd and bent forward to see what was inside. To his surprise, it wasn’t something ordinary. A four-month-old baby was lying in the trash with ants on his skin.

Yamasal said, “When I woke up that day, I was totally unaware that my life was about to change forever.” Standing near the bin, Yamasal could hear people talking about the baby. He could hear them ask what they should do with a crying baby and had no idea where his parents were. Meanwhile, Yamasal looked into the infant’s eyes that reflected nothing but pain. The 22-year-old wanted to do something to help the child. Everyone was just staring at him; not a single soul wanted to help.

Yamasal, while other people just looked at the baby and argued amongst themselves, how Yamasal bent over and pulled a crying baby out of the smelly trash can. The bystanders were shocked to see the young boy take the baby in his hands. Since they were reluctant to touch the baby, they didn’t expect Yamasal to hold the little one in his arms and take him to his house.

When Yamasal reached home with a crying baby in his hands, his 66-year-old mother, Alicia Jean, was shocked. She had no idea why her son returned early from the orphanage with someone else’s child in his arms. After learning Yamasal had found the crying baby in the bin, Jean helped her son wash the baby and feed him. They dressed him in clean clothes before taking him to the doctor for a quick checkup. Next, Yamasal went to the police station and told them about his discovery. The police immediately launched an investigation but could never trace the baby’s parents.

A few days after the investigation began, the judge asked Yamasal a life-changing question. Since they couldn’t find his parents, the authorities thought the best solution would be if Yamasal became the baby’s legal guardian. When the judge asked Yamasal to raise the baby, he spent days thinking about it. On the one hand, he was just a university student and didn’t have enough funds to support a baby. On the other hand, he didn’t want the baby to grow up without a father, as he did.

Yamasal said, “Something inside was telling me that this happened for a reason, so I took a leap of faith.” Despite not having enough money to pay his tuition fee and knowing that his family wasn’t financially stable, Yamasal agreed to raise the child with his mother and named him Emilio. When he picked the baby from the trash can, the university student had no idea he’d become a father at 22.

As Yamasal’s vacation was about to end, he started planning his trip back to the States. The only thing that bothered him was Emilio. His mother offered to look after little Emilio while Yamasal studied and worked in Texas. Yamasal confessed, “Sometimes you don’t have to know what you do, and just to be ready and do it.” After signing up as Emilio’s legal guardian, Yamasal divided his time between the US and Haiti. He frequently returned to Haiti to reunite with little Emilio when he wasn’t working or studying.

As a result, Yamasal had to take breaks from his studies, which meant he would graduate late compared to his batchmates. In September 2022, 27-year-old Yamasal would start the third year of his university, while Emilio joined a school at the beginning of the year. Little Emilio said he loved music and aspired to become a musician when asked what his favorite subject at school was. After reflecting on his progress, Yamasal shared his feelings, “It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m watching him grow up. It’s been so rewarding. I’m very proud of him.”

Watching the baby he’d rescued from the trash grow up made Yamasal believe he did the right thing by stepping up when others were afraid to hold four-month-old Emilio. After being his legal guardian for three years, Yamasal felt ready to adopt Emilio formally. As much as Yamasal wanted to embrace fatherhood by legally adopting Emilio, some hurdles kept him from doing so. He started the adoption process in 2020, which is still in progress.

Saying, “I truly do feel like a father, and I’m excited to put pen and paper and make Emilio my son. I just need to raise the money first.” Before Yamasal can legally adopt Emilio, he needs to raise thirty thousand dollars. Being a student who works to make ends meet, he couldn’t afford to adopt Emilio without help from other people. He had to ask people on the internet for monetary support.

On July 28, 2022, Yamasal started a fundraiser on GoFundMe, where he shared his journey of finding and raising Emilio. He said he felt special transforming Emilio’s life from being abandoned in the trash to a wonderful treasure. In just one day, people donated more than five thousand dollars to five-year-old Emilio. He urged people to share the fundraiser link with friends and family to help him achieve his goal.