Abraham’s Table
Who is Abraham Olagbegi?
Once upon a time, Abraham, an 11 year old boy, used to volunteer with his family to feed the homeless once a month in park near his home in Jackson Mississippi.
This , in itself, is pretty unusual for a young boy.
In June of 2020 this normally healthy young man started to feel weak to the point of him fainting on the way to his parents’ room to tell them he didn’t feel well.
The hospital doctors soon discovered that Abraham had a rare, life threatening condition called aplastic anemia . The condition was triggered by a life-threatening blood disease that destroys red blood cells, causes blood clots and affects bone-marrow function.
The poor little guy spent a month in hospital and months in recovery which included chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant.
After his doctors referred him as a recipient to Make-A-Wish Mississippi, Abraham knew he wanted to use his wish to carry on his family’s mission of feeding those in need.
It was a “perfect opportunity to turn something painful into something joyful,” he said. So while most children who are offered a “Wish” would most likely choose something for themselves like a trip to Disneyland or a day with Firemen perhaps, Abraham said, “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. ” WOW! This just brings tears to my eyes.
He said that he always tries to keep positive and to be in good spirits.
(I know that keeping a positive spirit has worked wonders for my own pain issues.) Thinking about others can help take the focus off of ourselves and we can almost forget about our pain/worries/troubles for awhile.
The photos below depict Abraham delivering food before his diagnosis and after with the help of the Make A Wish Foundation.
This kind hearted boy wants to keep up the mission to help others even after the year has passed. “We are hoping to one day get food trucks,” Abraham explained, adding that he wants to turn Abraham’s Table into a nonprofit organization.
When even his life threatening illness couldn’t keep him down for long, I think Abraham shows us that we too can make a difference in our own communities.
Thank-you, Abraham, for inspiring me to give more of myself to help others!
(Photo and quote credits : The Washington Post)