When Mohamed Bzeek went to the United States as a student from his home
Libya in 1978, he had no idea how he would eventually improve the lives of
the most at-risk kids there or what kind of an influence he would have on
their lives.
He wed Dawn, who had long been a foster parent, in 1989. With her, he
started to gradually transition into being a foster parent as well, taking
care of kids who didn't have anyone else and some of them had illnesses that
gave them little chance of survival.
A foster child died for the first time in Bzeek in 1991.
According to the Los Angeles Times, he stated, "This one affected me so
much when she died." The infant suddenly away as the couple was making
supper. He was just a year old, had a spinal condition, and was wearing a
complete body cast. Some time later, they made the decision to solely foster
children with terminal illnesses.
He continued to foster the kids no one else would in Azusa, Los Angeles
County, until Dawn passed away in 2015. By 2017, he had cared for 80 of them
as foster children and was there for or held 11 of them when they passed
away while in his custody.
The secret, according to Bzeek, is to treat them as though they were your
own. "I understand they are ill. I am aware that they will perish. I try to
live up to my human potential and leave the rest to God.
Bzeek also takes care of his biological son, who was born in 1997 with
brittle bones and dwarfism and is physically challenged. He had gone to
Citrus College, and to get to his classes, he would utilize an electric
wheelchair.
Bzeek underwent surgery alone after receiving a colon cancer diagnosis in
November 2016. But the encounter gave him new perspective.
"This experience humbled me," he said to PBS News. "I felt for the kids who
had been unwell throughout their lives... if I am an adult at 62 years old
and I feel this, like I am alone, I am terrified, nobody is saying me it
will be ok, it will be OK."
Bzeek took care of Samantha in 2017. She had microcephaly, was blind and
deaf, and had frequent convulsions, which caused Bzeek to sleep on the sofa
to be closer to her at night. The 2018 documentary "Guardian of Angels"
highlighted his relationship with her.
"I hold her because the only way to communicate with her is via touch. She
needs to understand that someone is here for her. She has a lover. He
answered, "She is not alone herself.
Her life has not been without pain. She occasionally shows signs of
enjoyment and contentment, and Mohamed is to blame, according to Samantha's
physician, Dr. Suzanne Roberts.
She cared for Samantha for over nine years, but in 2019, she passed
away.
A GoFundMe campaign created to support Bzeez had already raised more than
$840,000 by the end of August 2022, much exceeding its initial $100,000
goal. With the money, Bzeez has fixed his van, his son's wheelchair, and his
home's air conditioning and water heater. In addition, Bzeek wants to make
his house more wheelchair accessible.
Bzeek has also upgraded his fostering license, allowing him to foster many
children concurrently.
Regarding what spurs Bzeek to keep looking after these kids, he said:
"In the brief time they are here, I give these kids all I have. They depart
from here knowing they were cherished.
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