Gift Matthew Ogbonnaya, at the age of 16, came to Canada in 2018 as his parents’ only hope for a better future for himself and for them in the long run. He worked hard as a student at Sask Polytechnic and studied chemical technology, while holding down many odd jobs to make ends meet as an international student. The annual school fees for his course are around $20,000. For the last five years, he has not gone home to see his family. As an international student in Canada and being so young, you can imagine that life was not easy for him from the very beginning. Gift was introduced to our church family in 2024 through his roommate. He immediately engaged himself in the weekly activities of the church. Life and Restoration Anglican Missionary Church is a new church which means everyone is encouraged to serve in any position they can. Gift was truly a gift of God as he quickly joined the choir group as the drummer and was dedicated from the start. Gift rarely ever missed a choir practice and church service and his commitment with the little he had was not short of remarkable. He did not have a car for the first four years, yet he always attended practice and church services even if it meant he had to take the bus and go to work directly after. When Gift fell sick at the end of 2024, only a few people knew and even fewer truly knew how serious it was because he always kept an optimistic and light-hearted attitude in every situation. In January of 2024 was when a majority of the church was told what was going on with him and many started asking because he was absent for a few weeks. Our heart was broken, but optimistic in God for healing as according to Gift, the tumor was benign. He underwent surgery in February of 2024 and according to Gift, the news was positive. The church was told that the tumor was removed, and he is in recovery. Fast-forward to July 2024, we received devastating news that not only were the tumors back, but they are now malignant and growing rapidly. Through all of this, Gift always had trust in God that he will get better. We did not expect the sad news we received on the night of Friday, July 21st when he was prepped for surgery. Before the doctors could proceed with the surgery, complications ensued, and Gift never made it out of the operation room as he passed away shortly due to cardiac arrest even though they did what they could to resuscitate him. We, as his church family, are raising money to send his body back to his family in Nigeria, at least to give them the opportunity to see their son after five years even if it’s under the given circumstances. His father, after hearing the devastating news of his son's sickness and subsequent passing, was too heartbroken to continue his plans to fly to Canada this week to see him. As you are all aware, sending his body to Nigeria is going to be very expensive and his family also needs financial support during this time to bury him and to aid them in offsetting the cost they incurred while supporting their son financially in Canada. If you are moved to help and sow into bringing closure to his family, please click the link! Thanks in advance for your contribution and God bless you greatly as you give.
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