For more than two decades, Mohamed Bzeek has quietly cared for children who are frequently neglected — terminally ill foster kids who often can’t see, hear or talk, and have little time left to experience love, hope and laughter
Becoming a Foster dad – Bzeek’s story
Born in Libya, Bzeek came to the United States as a college student in 1978 and married Dawn in 1989.
Dawn’s grandparents had been foster parents, and she was inspired by them. Before she met Bzeek, she opened her home as an emergency shelter for foster children who needed immediate placement or who were placed in protective custody.
Together, Dawn and Bzeek have cared for dozens of children and developed the deepest bond with disabled and abandoned children who needed love and kindness the most. “Their lives have value — it makes me happy when I see them smiling and know they are happy and content,” he says. “You don’t need words to know that.”
His wife passed away a few years ago, but Mohamed decided to keep doing what he loves. After his wife, Dawn’s, death, “it only seemed natural to continue,” says Bzeek.
24/7 care
Ten of the foster children have passed away in his care; some have died in his arms. Mohamed Bzeek knew they would die but he took them in anyway.
Bzeek lives in Los Angeles and is the only foster parent in the county known to take in these terminally ill children.
The children require around-the-clock care. Almost all of the children who spent their final years with Bzeek were sent to him directly from Los Angeles County hospitals as infants, where they were given up or abandoned by parents who were unable to care for them.
"If anyone ever calls us and says, ‘This kid needs to go home on hospice,’ there’s only one name we think of," said Melissa, an intake coordinator who finds placements for sick children. "He’s the only one that would take a child who would possibly not make it."
Bzeek has one biological child of his own, Adam, a son who was born with brittle bone disease and dwarfism.
Bzeek now cares for 8-year old deaf and blind girl with a rare brain defect
"I know she can’t hear, can’t see, but I always talk to her," he says. "I’m always holding her, playing with her, touching her. … She has feelings. She has a soul. She’s a human being."
Bzeek spends long days and sleepless nights caring for a bedridden 8-year-old foster girl with a rare brain defect. She’s blind and deaf. She has daily seizures. Her arms and legs are paralyzed.
“the only way to communicate with her is by touch,” Bzeek tells PEOPLE, “and so I hold her. I want her to know that somebody is here for her. Somebody loves her. She is not alone.”
Not a day off since 2000
Tens of thousands of dollars were donated when Bzeeks’ GoFundMe page was launched. With a total of more than a half million dollars today, people are still contributing money almost every day.
Here are some of the things that the donations are being used for:
Air Conditioning/ Heating: Mohamed is going to get central air conditioning and heating. Both of Mohamed’s children have problems regulating body temperature. Right now Mohamed just has a swamp cooler in his living room. He mentioned that in the summer when it gets hot, the family has to spend all their time in the living room, near the swamp cooler.
Support: Mohamed has not taken a single day off since 2010. In 2010 he took 6 weeks off to visit family in Libya. But apart from that he hasn’t taken a day off since 2000. The donations will enable Mohamed to hire another nurse, if he needs additional support, or needs to take a break.
Adam’s Education: Mohamed is very happy to be able to use some of the donations towards his son Adam’s college education.
A New Van: Mohamed has a 2003 van. He is very dependent on his van to take his children to doctor and hospital visits. He would like to use part of the donation to get a new, wheelchair accessible vehicle.
Roof Repairs: Mohamed mentioned that his roof has been leaking badly for a while. He said that the donations came at just the right time.