A local business has brought the community together to help out a family in need.
A few weeks ago, Prestige Jewelers heard about a quad accident that left a young boy in a coma.
Thirteen-year-old Hussein Abadi suffered multiple brain injuries, including a concussion and fractured skull after landing on his head.
Mahamed Tarrabin, the store manager, said when they heard about it they had to act.
“When we hear a call like this, we have no choice but to answer. Many people approached me about the same cause so I knew this was a really good one that we wanted to be involved in.”
Prestige announced a raffle for a $4,000 ring and at $5 a ticket, surpassed the prize value within 15 minutes.
They added a second ring and surpassed the prize value again within 4 hours.
By the time of the draw, the raffle had raised nearly 38,000 from 1361 participants.
“More than 80 per cent of the entrants were from Fort McMurray, so we designed a beautiful ring for the mom and engraved in it, ‘Love YMM 1361,’ because we feel that this was a community effort from everyone” said Tarrabin.
The jewelry store donated all three rings and even gave each staff a bonus to thank them for the extra work they did sorting all the entries.
“I wake up every morning and I don’t check my phone first, instead I ask myself, ‘what am I going to do different today?’ And we always have a slogan in our store, don’t wait for the change you want to see, be the change you want to see,” said Tarrabin.
Weeks after the accident, Hussein is doing well, doctors say it will be a long road to recovery but he is on it.
“It’s a miracle! Doctors are saying it and so are we, Hussein woke up two days ago, sooner than expected and is able to move his arms and legs” said family friend and GoFundMe organizer Alaa Alchikh Bazzi.
The Abadi family are currently in Edmonton with their son at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and are both humbled and blown away at the support they’ve been shown.
“This community always shows up for each other, its like no where else I have seen, you know everyone puts their hands together and helps even when they don’t know the people who are in need” said Bazzi.
The Abadi’s are local businesses owners themselves, YMM Barbershop, and have three other children to care for.
They’re not sure how long they’ll be driving the highway back and forth to Edmonton, it could be longer than six months.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family, at the time of writing has surpassed $19,000.
Bazzi says the family is always the first to give before they take and have pledged if there are remaining funds not used, they will donate it to charity and to other families in need in the name of Hussein Abadi.