Miriam Olagbegi/GNN
When life hands you a miracle, you have two options: use it yourself or pay it forward. Incredibly, a sick 13-year-old boy decided to use his Make-A-Wish, not for himself, but to help feed the homeless community. That’s right! Continue on for the heartwarming story you need this holiday season…
Using His Wish To Help The Community
Make-A-Wish
Adeola “Abraham” Olagbegi, 13, is no ordinary teenager. At the age of 12, doctors diagnosed Olagbegi with aplastic anemia, a disease where the body fails to produce the right amount of blood cells. However, thankfully, a year later, after a transplant and numerous intense bouts of chemotherapy, Olagbegi has left the hospital, and his future looks bright. While he still needs weekly checkups to monitor his condition, Olagbegi remains hopeful. “I am a person of hope,” he told local news station WLBT.
Even better, that’s not the only good news! During his stay in the hospital, Olagbegi learned that he’d become a recipient of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s help. For those who don’t know, Make-A-Wish is a charitable non-profit that makes the dreams of sick children come true. Many ask to meet their favorite celebrities or fictional characters or visit somewhere they have always wanted to go. But, as stated, Olagbegi is not an ordinary young man. Instead of doing something for himself, Olagbegi decided to use his Make-A-Wish to make the world a better, and healthier, place.
Olagbegi’s wish? Feed the homeless in his hometown for an entire year. That’s right! Abraham Olagbegi’s mother, Miriam, could hardly believe her son’s selflessness. Still, she didn’t feel too surprised: Abraham had always loved volunteering. Before his diagnosis, the young man loved volunteering in his local community, handing out hot meals to the homeless.
“It was always a good thing to do, and that’s what I grew up doing that,” Abraham explained to WLBT-News 3. “So, I go back to my roots to do what I was taught to do.”
A Remarkable Young Man
Make-A-Wish
Believe it or not, even the crew at Make-A-Wish felt impressed by Abraham Olagbegi’s generosity. “When he so easily gives to others at a time where everybody should really be supporting him, you just have to say, that’s a remarkable young man,” said Linda Sermons, an assistant with Make-A-Wish. Of course, the non-profit was more than happy to make Abraham’s wish come true. Now, once a month, Make-A-Wish and Abraham coordinate with local businesses to feed nearly 100 people in the 13-year-old’s hometown. As of this writing, they have run four successful “Abraham’s Table” events – how incredible!
“When the homeless people get the plate, some of them would come back and sing to us and thank us,” Abraham told CBS News in a recent interview. “It just really feels good, it warms our hearts—and my parents always taught us that it’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
Even more impressive, even after the year of events planned by Make-A-Wish, Abraham wants to keep “Abraham’s Table” going. “We’re very excited to be able to continue on this endeavor. It’s just so rewarding,” his mother, Miriam, told CBS News. “If I was out there on the streets, homeless, I would want somebody at some point to think of me and to do something special for me, so, that’s what I try to instill in my kids.” No questions asked: Abraham is an inspiration to us all, especially during the holiday season.
