Basketball player was left homeless after private school closed — a local couple refused to let his dreams die
Some dreams are meant to come true, despite all odds. A basketball player from Senegal, West Africa, experienced that when he received sponsorship from a private school to play basketball. But unfortunately, the school was shut down only a little while after the teen, Ama Sow, arrived in the country. Without the sponsorship, he was homeless and had nowhere to go. But then a local couple stepped in to ensure that the student could keep on living his dream, per CBS Evening News.
Sow had started recording videos of himself while playing basketball in hopes of getting sponsored by a private school. "I can do anything for basketball," he expressed. He got a call from one of the schools in 2021, but it closed at some point. A former staff member reached out to one of his old friends, David McComb and asked if he could take the 15-year-old in. McComb owns a diner outside Pittsburgh and agreed to take the teen boy in, even after having three kids at his house already. The man said yes even before consulting his wife about the decision. "In a marriage, you know how someone is going to react, know what they are going to do." He added, "There is a reason why all this happened."
"I didn't think if there is anybody else who could take him in, I just said okay," McComb recounted. The family hadn't even met him yet. But his wife came around pretty soon. "Ama has never seen a dishwasher. He had never taken a hot shower until he came to America. So, it grounded everybody," McComb's wife went on. The teen started attending the local public school and began playing basketball there. He would be playing at a Division-1 College at the University of Tennessee-Martin soon. Sow is grateful for the second family he has found in the country. "Your family will be there for you forever, they will love you forever and they will help you forever."
"I love him. He is a part of our family," the woman admitted. Many people shared their thoughts on the couple's selfless gesture in the comments section of the video. @cartr4236 wrote, "The way he treats the other kids as his own siblings, especially the youngest, is very heartwarming. I can't imagine being all alone in a foreign country and having to adapt to new people, a whole new life. Brave kid, I hope he goes far and I hope this family stays happy!" @belladonna2071 commented, "My husband is from Senegal and he would do the same thing. I hope the young man's adopted family will be able to visit Senegal one day. They would love it there and they would be treated as family. Beautiful story. Praying for much success for everyone involved."
@mpakempake3235 remarked, "This is the kind of video I love to start my day with. This is the America I know and am glad to see fellow humans cross cultural boundaries to make things happen. As an immigrant, I remain grateful for the opportunities this nation has offered me." @jseehowitsbeen3177 shared, "What a great family. My husband knows I would do exactly what the husband in this story did. I’ve actually brought people into our home who had nowhere to go. And after 18 years of marriage, he definitely knows how I would react and what I would do. I’m blessed that my husband is super generous and caring too."