Adeola ‘Abraham’ Olagbegi chose to feed the homeless in his hometown in Jackson, Mississippi. The Make-A-Wish recipient with a rare blood disorder didn’t bother with a gaming console or new shoes.
His application for the nonprofit organization read: “I would like for the homeless people at Poindexter Park in Jackson to receive one hot meal a month every month for the rest of the year or for an entire year.”
Adeola is no stranger to philanthropic acts. He and his family regularly fed the homeless way before he was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in June 2020.
“Before I got sick, me and my family would go feed the homeless at that park every month,” Abraham explained. “Since I became sick, my family had to stop doing it. I really want to do something impactful.”
Aplastic anemia leaves patients constantly tired with a greater risk of infection and bleeding. This rare bone marrow condition means too few blood cells are produced for the body to function.
A bone marrow transplant in November 2020 saw Abraham stay in the hospital for a month. This was a part of a nine-month treatment process that kept him from going to school or hanging out with his friends.
But it was feeding the homeless that he missed most.
“I am a person of hope, so when you come against a big mountain, you have to remember you have a big God,” Abraham said.
It was his doctors that referred him to the Make-A-Wish foundation,
Abraham then told his mom, Miriam Olagbegi, that he wanted to feed the homeless for his wish.
“I said, ‘Are you sure Abraham?” she recalled. “You could do a lot… You sure you don’t want a PlayStation?’”
The organization granted his wish, pledging to feed 80 people per month for a calendar year. Called “Abraham’s Table,” the feeding program will be held at Poindexter Park on every third Saturday of each month until August 2022.
The homeless people would always sing and give their thanks to Abraham and his family.
The Make-A-Wish Mississippi chapter went on to say that this was its “first philanthropic wish in our 20+ years of the chapter in the state.”
“This wish is definitely leaving a mark, not only because of the milestone it gave our chapter, but also meeting this family and knowing how the community can truly rally around our kids is just amazing,” said Linda Sermons, a Make-A-Wish Mississippi wish assistant.
Miriam would often tell Abraham that “it’s a blessing to be a blessing”. Abraham took it to heart and put those words in action. His mother is so proud of his selfless actions.
“As parents, we could only hope to raise good, God-fearing, productive members of society,” she told CNN. “Sometimes we get things wrong and sometimes we get things right; so it’s nice to see when things go right.”
Abraham wants to start a nonprofit with the name “Abraham’s Table”. The aim is to get food trucks and plants to continue supporting the less fortunate and all those in need.
Meet Abraham in the video below!
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