When Adeola “Abraham” Olagbegi discovered his bone marrow transplant was successful, he was granted any wish of his choice.
But the 13-year-old’s wish was not a trip across the world or the newest gaming console. Instead, he chose to feed homeless people in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, for a year.
It began in June 2020, when Abraham was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare and life-threatening blood disorder. The disease is a type of bone marrow failure that made it impossible to produce enough blood cells to support his body.
“I am a person of hope, so when you come against a big mountain, you have to remember you have a big God,” Abraham told CNN affiliate WLBT.
Because the disease causes bone marrow damage, Abraham needed a bone marrow transplant to survive.
“I had my transplant 10 months ago in November 2020, so I am doing good,” he told WLBT.
Make-A-Wish Mississippi, which grants wishes to children and teens ages 2-18 who are often battling devastating illnesses, made his wish come true, bringing to life Abraham’s Table, a service that provides meals to the homeless every third Saturday.
On those days, Abraham and a group of volunteers stand in Jackson’s Poindexter Park distributing meals and will continue to do so with Make-A-Wish for the next year.
Helping hundreds of people
Abraham was ingrained with kindness growing up. Before his diagnosis, he and his family fed the homeless in his community every month, WLBT reported.
“It was always a good thing to do, and that’s what I grew up doing that,” Abraham said. “So, I go back to my roots to do what I was taught to do.”
After his diagnosis, the family had to temporarily stop their efforts. But since beginning Abraham’s Table in September, he has already fed hundreds of homeless citizens.
“It’s such a beautiful example of how one kid has been able to unite an entire community,” Make-A-Wish spokesperson Jamie Sandys told CNN.
“Between the businesses that have donated food and the people who have received food, Abraham’s wish has directly impacted hundreds of people at this point,” Sandys said.
Miriam Olagbegi, Abraham’s mom, believes the experience has taught her son “valuable life lessons” that will impact him for the rest of his life.
“As parents, we could only hope to raise good, God-fearing, productive members of society,” Olagbegi told CNN. “Sometimes we get things wrong and sometimes we get things right; so it’s nice to see when things go right.”
Abraham says he is committed to Abraham’s Table and hopes to soon turn it into a nonprofit organization that will impact people for years to come.