Wisdom C Okereke

The bible in Matthew 5:8 says that “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” When I think about this verse, I can't help but think about Wisdom Okereke because it captures the kind of person Wisdom was. To understand why, you first have to understand who Wisdom was and the kind of impact he had on the people around him.

Wisdom was born in Nigeria as a perfectly healthy baby. He grew and developed just like any other child, even beginning to walk at just 10 months old. There was always something special about Wisdom from the very beginning. He was an incredibly happy, cheerful, and loving child. Whenever someone came near him, he would smile, laugh, and reach out his hands for them to pick him up. Whenever someone visited our home, he would do his best to greet them, laughing and crawling toward them. Everyone who met Wisdom loved him because of his beautiful personality. He loved everybody, and everybody loved him.

But when Wisdom turned one, our lives changed. He experienced a seizure that left him completely changed. The doctors in Nigeria told us that there was very little hope and that he probably would not survive the night. We did not give up on him. We took him to another hospital, where the doctors worked hard to treat him, and through their efforts, he became stable. That doctor gave us hope that he would improve as he got older. In 2008, because of his medical condition, we brought Wisdom to America for treatment. Throughout this time, despite his illness, he never lost his beautiful smile or his personality. He continued laughing and sharing his happiness with me, his mother, and his siblings.

In 2009, Wisdom started school here in the United States. As he grew older, we began to see another side of his personality. Even though he could not speak or walk, he found his own ways of communicating. He knew what he wanted, and he knew how to make himself understood. This was so much so that one of his teachers in school gave him the nickname “King”. Wisdom graduated High School in 2022; unfortunately, due to his health condition, he was unable to continue his education. Even though his own journey with school had come to an end, he remained part of his siblings' journeys. He would listen when his siblings told him they were traveling, had a test, or anything else related to school or life. And every night, he would wait for them to get home and see him before going to sleep. He would also be the center of mine and his mother’s world, keeping his mother company and adding routine into our life as well.

When Wisdom passed away, we asked why God would take someone like Wisdom away. These are questions that are impossible to answer. However, what we know is that Wisdom, who was given the life expectancy of only a couple of years, remarkably lived to 22 years old. That is the miracle and what we are celebrating.

We may still wonder why a light so bright had to leave us so soon, but we take comfort in knowing that Wisdom’s life was a profound gift. We celebrate the young man who smiled at everyone, became our King, and touched every single person he met without ever speaking a single word. We celebrate Wisdom for teaching us to love more deeply and laugh louder.

Wisdom is survived by his parents OK and Augustina Okereke; sister Blessing Okereke and brother Anointing Okereke.

There will be a service to celebrate Wisdom’s life at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 20, 2026, at Allen Family Funeral Options.

A reception will follow the service.

Wisdom will be laid to rest at Plano Mutual Cemetery at 2:00 p.m.