When battling a life-threatening disease, children and teenagers granted a “make-a-wish” often ask for vacations, meet-and-greets with a celebrity, or a bedroom makeover. Not Abraham Olagbegi, 13.
Coming home from his doctor’s appointment when he and his mother just learned that he qualified for a Make-A-Wish request, his mother asked him what he might want.
“If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be?” Miriam Olagbegi asked her son.
“I really want to feed the homeless,” he responded.
So they filled out the Make-A-Wish application, which asks recipients to outline their wish and reasons for wanting it to come true. Children ages from 2-18 suffering from a critical illness are eligible for a wish.
“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,” Abraham wrote on his form.
For the reasoning behind his wish, he wrote, “Before I got sick, me and my family would go feed the homeless at that park every month. Since I became sick, my family had to stop doing it. I really want to do something impactful.”
He said he didn’t have to think hard about what he had to wish for. It was “second nature.”
“My mom would always say it’s a blessing to be a blessing,” Abraham told The Washington Post.
Abraham was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening blood disorder, aplastic anemia, in 2020. After a painful bone marrow transplant and rounds of chemotherapy, he is out of the hospital and doing better.
Abraham’s family has been feeding the homeless in their community in Jackson once a month for the past four years. His great-uncle started the family tradition of cooking together and serving those in need.
“Abraham just really took a liking to it. He is always eager to make sure he goes,” Olagbegi said. “He loves just serving personally.”
Unfortunately, when he got sick, the family pressed pause on their monthly tradition. But this past summer, Abraham’s condition was steadily improving following months of chemo and radiation – and a bone-marrow transplant that went well. Once his doctors referred him as a recipient to Make-A-Wish Mississippi, Abraham knew how he wanted to use his wish.
It was a “perfect opportunity to turn something painful into something joyful,” he said.
Linda Sermons, a wish assistant at Make-A-Wish Mississippi, recalled opening Abraham’s paperwork with her manager. “Our eyes watered up and we got goose bumps,” she said, adding that it’s the first time in the organization’s 35-year history that they’ve gotten a request for a charitable wish. “It was a milestone for us. His wish is selfless.”
“Abraham has been an inspiration to us all,” said Allison Tyler, the chief executive of Make-A-Wish Mississippi. “Hundreds of wishes get granted every day across the nation, but being part of his touches the heart.”
“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,” Sermons said.
To grant Abraham’s wish, Make-A-Wish created Abraham’s Table – a service vowing to feed at least 80 homeless people at Poindexter Park on every third Saturday of each month for a full year. It is supplied by various donors and sponsors, including local churches and businesses.
“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,” Sermons said.
The first two events, Sept. 18 and Oct. 16, were successful.
“It just warms my heart,” Abraham said.
“You can only do so much with your own resources, but to know that you’ve got people that are willing to pitch in and give their time and money and effort, was just beautiful,” Abraham’s mother said.
At each monthly event, people in need are served takeout containers packed with hot meals, as well as “blessing bags” filled with essential supplies, including toothbrushes, masks and bars of soap. During the first event, fried chicken, macaroni, greens and lemon cake was served. Spaghetti was served at the second event.
Abraham and his family would like to continue Abraham’s Table, even after the final event organized by Make-A-Wish is held next August.
“We are hoping to one day get food trucks,” Abraham explained, describing how he wants to turn Abraham’s Table into a nonprofit organization.
“My wish has definitely come true,” he added.
