When Priscilla Morse saw the image of a skeletal seven-year-old boy barely surviving at an orphanage in Bulgaria on Faceook she knew she had to act quickly.

She flew from her home in Tennessee, USA and arrived to adopt the boy, but was so shocked when she saw him she thought he might die before she’d had time to sign the paperwork.

The boy she and husband David have called Ryan was immediately rushed to a chilren’s hospital when they landed in the US.

But the boy was in grave danger with doctors expecting him to die.

Speaking to Inside Edition Priscilla said: “The first meeting was pretty scary.

He was found in the orphanage weighing eight pounds (Image:

Facebook)

Ryan is now a completely different boy after being adopted

“He was bones and skin, he literally looked like a skeleton.

“The first thing that went through my head was, ‘he’s going to die.’”

Once they got Ryan back to the US the family raced straight from the airport to the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, where doctors and specialists were waiting.

Promoted Stories

Priscilla, 33, who was adopted as a child herself added: “I had never in my life seen doctors look at a child and burst into tears.

“They did call social services. They said, ‘I’m sorry, he’s probably going to die.’”

Ryan Morse and mum Priscilla (Image:

Facebook)

Ryan spent the next few weeks in hospital, learning to eat and not throw up his food.

He was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy, microcephaly, dwarfism, scoliosis, severely clubbed feet and he is also unable to speak.

In the last 13 months Ryan has gained 15 pounds, enrolled in school and is starting to enunciate words, he also joined his family for thanksgiving managing to take bites of pumpkin pie.

Ryan Morse getting stronger (Image:

Facebook)

He lives with Priscilla and David’s biological sons, Dylan 13 and Jack, 7 as well as their adoptive daughter McKenzie who also has special needs.

Priscilla said she was inspired to give Ryan a family after seeing the way her parents cared for her brother who had special needs and died aged nine.

She added: “I was pretty young when he passed away.

Powered by 

“I remember how much my parents loved him in spite of all his special needs.

“I wanted to give that to a child that was given up because of his special needs.

“Everyone is deserving of a family.”