A young teen from Jackson, Mississippi, exuded a lot of compassion to the homeless community following his diagnosis of a frightening and rare disease.
In 2020, a then 13-year-old Abraham Olagbegi discovered he had a rare blood disorder that he was diagnosed with at birth. This resulted in him having to get a bone marrow transplant. Following the transplant, roughly a year later, he received the fantastic news that his transplant was a success.
Abraham was then was eligible for Make-A-Wish, an organization that grants wishes to children with serious health ailments. In the spirit of giving to those in need, Abraham exuded the same energy by giving back to the homeless population in the area.
Abraham’s Desire to Help the Displaced Community
Abraham had an unwavering and inspiring wish to feed the homeless and informed his mother about it.
"I remember we were coming home from one of his doctor appointments, and he said, 'Mom, I thought about it, and I really want to feed the homeless," Miriam Olagbegi, Abraham's mother, said in a conversation with CBS News.
She also explained to the outlet that she questioned her son to make sure he really wanted to do that as he is young and may have other things that spark his interest, like getting a PlayStation to participate in video games.
Still, the idea of a PlayStation didn't spark Abraham's interest. He had his sight set on helping the homeless community. Abraham's father was on the same page as his son.
"So, of course, we weren't going to miss an opportunity like that because we always tried to instill giving into our children," Miriam continued to express to CBS News.
How Abraham’s Dream to Help the Homeless Became a Reality
In September 2021, the Make-A-Wish foundation helped the 13-year-old hero organize a day to hand out free food in Jackson, which was donated from businesses in the area.
According to Abraham, close to 80 people received food on that day.
"When the homeless people get the plate, some of them would come back and sing to us and thank us," he told CBS News before adding that it "feels good" to do the charitable deed.
"My parents always taught us that it's a blessing to be a blessing."
The Lasting Impact of Abraham’s Compassion
With the aid of Make-A-Wish, Abraham was able to feed the homeless every month for a whole year.
Every third Saturday of each month, the Mississippi chapter of the organization will work with Abraham to find other local supporters to supply the food they need to feed up to 80 homeless people.
A local church and business already gave him and supplied two servings.
Flash forward to August 2022, Abraham and the Make-A-Wish foundation finished the goal of feeding the homeless for a year.
But now, Abraham's efforts will continue to have a silver lining as he created the nonprofit "Abraham's Table."
"We're just very excited to be able to continue on this endeavor. It's just so rewarding," Abraham's mom said.
She also said if she was in a similar predicament and homeless on the streets, she would appreciate someone doing something sweet for her.
"That's what I try to instil in my kids, and we just try to pay it forward, by doing what we were raised to do," Abraham's mom said.
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