13-Year-Old Make-A-Wish Recipient Wants to Feed the Homeless

When asked if he could wish for anything in the world, a 13-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient from Jackson, Mississippi could have chosen a gaming console, shopping spree, trip to an amusement park, or spend time with someone he admires, like a sports hero. Instead, Abraham Olagbegi responded, “I really want to feed the homeless.”

The young man’s mother asked him this question on the way home from a doctor’s appointment after learning Olagbegi’s rare blood disorder qualified him for a wish in July. She was surprised at his response, but only momentarily. “When I think about the kind of kid he is, his answer made perfect sense,” his mom explained. His natural inclination to help others, like the homeless, is second nature.

Make-A-Wish is an organization that serves children over two and under 18 diagnosed with a critical illness that places a child’s life in jeopardy. The premise is based on research that confirms a wish can give youngsters the ability to fight against and overcome a critical illness,” the 501(c)(3) foundation website explains.

When completing the paperwork for his wish, Olagbegi wrote:

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.

He explained that he and his used to go to the park once a month to feed the homeless at that park. But after he became ill, his family had to stop.

The 13-year-old’s wish is to do make a difference in others’ lives, “something impactful,” according to The Washington Post. His following words during an interview melted his mother’s heart, “My mom would always say it’s a blessing to be a blessing.”

Make-A-Wish foundation gave him his desire. He served meals to the homeless in September at Poindexter Park. The table cloth read: Abraham’s Table and Psalm 34:8.

Olagbegi has been fighting the effects of aplastic anemia, which is a rare and life-threatening blood disorder, for the last year and a half. He would need a bone marrow transplant. Despite his situation, he tries to keep in good spirits and think about the positive.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)

Homelessness is at an all-time high in the United States, and if it were not for the generosity of Abraham, his family, the Make-A-Wish foundation, and other donors, most of those hit with hard times would be forgotten.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

The Washington Post: Many Make-A-Wish kids ask for a vacation. This teen asked to feed the homeless. By Sydney Page
Make-A-Wish: FAQ
National Coalition for the Homeless: Homelessness in America

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Inset Image Courtesy of Courtesy of Ahmed Haque’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License