Woman Rescues 8-Year-Old Orphan Weighing Only 8 Pounds and Offers Loving Home

The family, which also includes Priscilla's two biological boys, opened their homes to a young kid from Bulgaria who was so malnourished when they found him that they were afraid the child might not be able to make it. 

In 2014, Priscilla saw a picture that could always keep her from sleeping. In the picture, a starter kid appeared to be so underweight that he looked younger than his actual age of six. 

The youngster, subsequently given the name Ryan, was practically rotting away in a Bulgarian orphanage. Without intervention, he wouldn't have much longer to live. And Priscilla knew there was no way she could save Ryan. It became her new life's purpose.

“I don’t know how to describe it, but you look at them and you just know,” Priscilla Morse said. “We had decided long ago that if we were going to adopt, it was going to be the kids no one was coming for – kids in Third World countries who are locked away in orphanages.”

Thankfully, Priscilla's husband David agreed that Ryan needed to be saved. In order to begin the lengthy and difficult process of another overseas adoption, the couple set off.

Saving Little Ryan

The family got everything ready in November 2015. In order to bring her new kid back with her to his future home, Priscilla traveled to Bulgaria.

Ryan was 7 years old and had lost so much weight, just weighing 8 pounds.

“He was bones and skin,” Priscially Morse recalled. “He literally looked like a skeleton. The first thing that went through my head was, ‘he’s going to die.”

Little Ryan suffered from a number of illnesses, such as scoliosis, club foot, and cerebral palsy. He also had a congenital condition called microcephaly that affected the size of his head and the development of his brain. The most crucial thing that could have been done to save Ryan's life was to make sure he received prompt medical assistance.

Ryan was admitted by Priscilla and her husband to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital after they returned to the United States.

“I had never in my life seen doctors look at a child and burst into tears,” Priscilla says.

The devoted mother explained: “They all said there was no way that this kid should still have been alive.”

The doctors estimated Ryan would need a month in the hospital and were not optimistic he would survive. The infant was diagnosed with refeeding syndrome, which made it extremely difficult for his body to properly absorb nutrition. This implied that he frequently vomited after eating.

“It was intense for a long time,” Priscilla says, “and I think you kind of guard yourself against just how serious it is so you can push through every day and do what you have to do.”

Ryan’s Miraculous Transformation

Priscilla and her family never lost hope for him despite all the obstacles in his way and his unique medical requirements. When doctors were able to install a feeding tube in their son, the little child could finally receive the sustenance his body needed.

They started taking care of some of Ryan's other health issues as he got stronger. Years later, Ryan has completely changed.

Ryan has undergone a number of operations, but he still has a ways to go.

"It’s going to be a long process,” she says. “Seven years of neglect can’t be undone in a day.”

Priscilla also had a message for the world.

“Everyone deserves a family,” Priscilla Morse says. “No one should be written off if they have special needs just because it’s going to be hard. Life is hard anyway, so you adjust and you learn, because these kids – they are so worthy.”