In June 2020, Abraham Olagbegi was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. He was 13 years old and had a rare disease that prevented him from producing enough blood cells.
In November, he underwent surgery. A bone marrow transplant in Jackson, Mississippi. It went well.
As part of his recovery, Make-A-Wish offered to grant him a wish. Any wish. A trip, a console, new sneakers.
His mom, Miriam, asked him what he wanted. Abraham was sure: he wanted to feed people experiencing homelessness in his city.
It was not the first time he had thought about it. Since he was 9 years old, his family had already been distributing food in the community, until the illness forced them to stop.
Miriam asked him if he was sure. He had already made up his mind.
With the support of Make-A-Wish, local businesses, and volunteers, he organized a first food distribution in Jackson. He said the best part was seeing people come back just to say thank you. Some sang to them.
The wish did not end that day. Since September 2021, every third Saturday, they have continued serving meals at Poindexter Park.
Abraham founded Abraham’s Table so that this would not depend on a wish, but become a tradition.
Miriam says she always taught her children to think of others.
Abraham simply did his homework.
