Ryan Ramos is the only 5-year-old in his class who had a Jimmy Carter-themed birthday party.
He's probably also the only one who also got Jimmy Carter-themed pajamas for Christmas, or who reads a Jimmy Carter book every night.
In a video posted on Dec. 28, Ryan declares with excitement, "I'm only sleeping on Jimmy Carter!" He shows off his themed pajamas, blanket and pillow.
"We're going on two years, and the love is still going strong," Lauren Ramos, Ryan's mom, tells TODAY.com.
Ryan's love affair with the 39th president began two years ago during President's Day, when he was learning about U.S. presidents at school. His grandma bought Ryan and his older brother a chart of presidents to accompany the holiday.
Ryan, then 3, asked Lauren to point out the "dead presidents."
"I was like, 'Oh, buddy, I could show you all the presidents who are still alive.' Jimmy Carter was still alive at this point. He took a liking to Jimmy Carter," she says.
Ryan was entranced by Carter’s age, who was then 98. “He goes, ‘Oh, I have never heard of anyone that old before,’” Lauren says.
His fascination grew after he learned more about the late president, who died at the age of 100 in 2025, from his grandma. Carter, who was a peanut farmer before rising to the nation's highest office, was known for his sense of decency, morality, kindness and faith.
Ryan loved that he was a champion for Habitats for Humanity and environmental endeavors, and that he established the Department of Education, since his mom is a teacher.
"Ryan was into the helping aspect and being kind. That's really how it started," Lauren says.
Each night, Lauren read Ryan a Golden Book about Jimmy Carter. So it came as a shock to Ryan when Carter died at the end of 2024.
"There were some tears," Lauren says. His passing started a conversation about Jimmy's "long life" and his legacy.
"We said, you know, what can we do to honor Jimmy Carter? He said, 'Oh, when I get older, I want to build houses,'" Lauren recalls. "We kind of turned that around into something positive, that, yes, we are sad. The world lost a great man, but we can do things to honor him."
He and his family volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and built a playhouse for a future family.
Ryan's love for Carter has continued. This past October, he had a Jimmy Carter-themed birthday party, complete with a cardboard cut-out of the president, a banner that showed Carter with Ryan, a Jimmy Carter shirt, and a cake with the president's face on it.
When asked if his fellow pre-K classmates were surprised, he says, 'They already knew."
"He's been in school with these kids for two years, so they already know about Ryan's love of Jimmy," his mom adds.
For Christmas, Lauren got her son a pair of custom pajamas with Carter's face, which she ordered on Etsy.
"Most people do like their pets and stuff. I was like, 'My son loves Jimmy. Carter, can you put his face on these pajama bottoms?' He's like, Absolutely, wow," she recalls.
Lauren says she's "proud" of her son because "he knows what a kind soul looks like, and he wants to emulate that."
"He's super sweet and super empathetic, but at the same time, like he stands up for what he believes is right. He's got this moral compass instilled in him," she says.
She points out the time that his older brother fell at the pool and Ryan immediately got the lifeguards' attention. "He's 3. He marches right up to them and says, 'Hey, I need your first aid kit. My brother fell. He's a very strong advocate," she says.
They're hoping to save up for a trip to Georgia, Carter's home state — or, as Ryan calls it, "Jimmy Carter World."
Ramos says the Carter family has been "sweet" and "amazing" to Ryan, sending a "box of goodies" and offering a tour of the Carter Center when they make it to Georgia.
