“Whatever you do
for the most vulnerable – you do for Me.” ~ Mark 25:40
The day before Mohamed Bzeek turned
62, the stocky man with a soft voice and warm heart admitted himself into a
hospital for colon cancer treatment. Petrified
at having to face the challenge alone, it served as a powerful reminder of the
fear his own kids face.
The oldest of 10 children, Bzeek left his home country of
Libya to study in the United States in 1978. A decade later, he met and married Dawn, an amazing
one-of-a-kind woman who’d opened her home as an emergency shelter for kids
needing urgent placement.
By 1995, the couple was
fostering seriously disabled and dying children exclusively, wanting to
give them the family surroundings not offered at a hospital or institution. Most were abandoned at birth. Dozens of nameless kids; many with little
time left to experience love, hope and laughter.
Bzeek, 62, has already buried 11
of those foster children, in addition to his wife who died in 2014 of lung
cancer. Without her, the widower could
only handle two kids.
His only biological son, Adam, bears the challenges of Brittle
Bone Disease; one so debilitating that even changing his socks can shatter
bones. Nonambulatory from birth, he ‘surfs’
aboard an ironing board attached to a pair of roller-skate wheels.
He began fostering Samantha when she was 6 weeks old. A rare brain defect left her blind, deaf and prone
to constant seizures. Doctors said that
she’d only live for a few months.
For the past three years, he works with a nurse who comes
everyday so he can take small breaks, run errands and pray at his mosque. His last full day off was in 2010, when he
visited Libya for only the second time since leaving his homeland. Inspired by his humanity, Bzeek’s family in
Libya also created an organization to shelter over 600 Libyan orphans.
The devout Muslim remained
anonymous until an LA Times story in 2017 thrust him into a blitz of global media
attention. He did interviews with Al Jazeera, Telemundo, and British TV. Within 3 days of the story’s publication, a fellow Californian opened a GoFundMe
account on his behalf, eventually raising nearly $800,000. The money was used for mobility renovations,
air conditioning, a wheelchair accessible van, and a college fund for
Adam.
He set the rest aside for a second nurse if one becomes
necessary. Nothing for himself.
Due to Mohamed's compassionate devotion, Samantha lived to
be almost 9 years old, passing away 2 days short of her ninth birthday in late
2020.
He never dwells on why he chose to do what he does. When pressed he explains, “My faith demands
it. Its obligatory! If I can help somebody, I have to help them!”
Bless you my brother in Christ.
