Charles Abega

It will be a faux pas to tell the story of the life of Charles Roger Abega without telling you about his brave wife Huguette Abega,
This is a true love story of two beautiful people.   Growing up in Yaounde-Cameroon (West  Central Africa),  Huguette always dreamt of a place where she could have 3 meals a day without any stress, a place where she could get proper medical attention, a place where she could go to school at her leisure, a place where the sky is the limit as far as   job opportunities , a place where she could get married and settle with her family. She dreamt  the American dream and that day finally arrived in 2000.


  After obtaining a visa to enter the USA,   Huguette excitedly moved and lived in charlotte NC for a while at first.  She liked Charlotte but preferred Spartanburg where most of our family lived. A few years later,  it was her most awaited reunion with her fiance from Cameroon: Charles Roger Abega. They were so much in love! They shortly bought a cozy house in Spartanburg and started a family immediately.  It was  the happiest time of their life and the happiest day when their son Ariel Abega was born. A few weeks later, after a normal routine test on baby Ariel, It was determined that he had sickle cell Anemia the worse kind! Huguette and Charles did not get too discouraged hanging around the Lord's court to plead for Ariel miracle recovery. At the age of 4 and a half,   his doctors suggested that a bone marrow transplant could be the ultimate solution for his miracle longlasting recovery.  Huguette and Charles prayed religiously.  They could not believe it when the doctor told them that she was 5 months pregnant. It was a miracle from God! London the new born will eventually be a bone marrow donor to his  older brother Ariel.  Huguette moved to Charleston to be with Ariel during and after the procedure while Charles tended to his youngest son. Charles juggled keeping their house hold going and tending to his  business. It was tough but worth it.  On a side note, Huguette  earlier had applied for an Asylum visa that was eventually denied. She was summoned deportation papers that she could not honor as she did not want to abandon her sick son.   Huguette was finally back from Charleston after 6 months and Ariel was still recovering. Infections for transplant patients are fatal in most cases. Huguette was not going to let  anything happen to Ariel, even when the immigration agent came to look for her for deportation at her home, she managed to hide in the attic and was determined not to let anything separate her from her son.  The  transplant was successful and the doctors told them that Ariel was now free of sickle cell! What a miracle! the worst was over finally they thought! but they were wrong!
Ariel started going to school and was no longer home schooled. His immune system was almost normal the doctors thought. After several weeks of  school, he started complaining about headaches and pain.  He was cleared almost,  after each trip to the hospital.  The last trip was different: that day, after insisting about not feeling so good,  Huguette and Charles took him to the doctor.  After several tests, it turned out at first to be just a minor discomfort. Before they left the hospital, he asked to be taken to McDonald after a little potty time. As Charles was taking him to the men's room on a wheelchair, he was not responsive when they got the the bathroom. He had gone in a coma in no time and will not come out of it. He died of Septicemia. That was a very heartbreaking time after all the trials. Charles and Huguette's faith in the Lord never faded and  it just grew from there.
Huguette and Charles were still getting over the lost of Ariel when the immigration sent her a promise of a Green Card approval from a previous  family sponsorship application. She could only take advantage of that if she went back to Cameroon, so she did with her new baby boy Jofiel.  Things got complicated when she got there.  She was denied the re-entry to the USA because she did not honor the deportation request when it was served the first time. She had to stay in Cameroon reluctantly with her baby  who missed most of his early childhood vaccinations.  Charles was asked to get a lawyer. The initial consultation with one suggested it will cost at least $8000,00.  We decided to help Charles get her back and it worked! Finally, their life was going to take a new normalcy. They planned to celebrated their union in Cameroon on July 14th 2017.  
Huguette and Charles thought as they have had dark clouds floating over their head for years, they were going to change the course of things and get on the bright side of life and renew their vows.  Plannings about the wedding had the magnitude   of the Pope's arrival.  After all they've been through, they deserved it we all thought! they deserved to be joyous at last! But this past fall, After a fun summer vacation in The Outer Banks,  their life took a turned that was never in the script of their life story.
After a casual visit to the family  doctor because of stomach cramps and the worst fatigue, the doctor told Charles and Huguette that Charles may have Gastric cancer stage 4! What a blow! It was confirmed after biopsies.  Chemotherapy was started immediately.  His treatments were interrupted with insurance matters; he was feeling more and more uncomfortable; he was desperate for more opportunities for a cure. Charles and Huguette decided to fly to Cameroon impulsively. It was a hopeless senseless move.  The beginning of the treatment in Cameroon seemed miraculously promising at first! in fact, Charles called here in the USA; he excitedly spoke to anybody who was available; his  sons and told them he is cured and will be back soon! The next day after the phone call, Charles health started declining rapidly.  three days before they decided to head back to the USA, Charles developed Jaundice.  With Huguette by his side, they left Yaounde Cameroon that night. Charles did not feel good at all but hoped to make it to the USA .  Huguette his guardian Angel (as he shared with me) was going to take him straight to the emergency room as soon as they land in Greenville South Carolina. The plan was in place.  My brothers were scheduled to fetch them when they land. 

In the end, none of what was planned will happen. The itinerary of the flight was taking through to Bruxelles in Belgium for a transit.  They were normally just going to wait in the plane for the next round of their trip.  Things turned to worst quickly. Huguette will demand to call  an ambulance that eventually will take them to St Luke Hospital in Bruxelles. Charles had a cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital. He was revived; then a few hours later, his organs started to fail one after the other.  Huguette was informed that the situation was hopeless .  Huguette and Charles had a closure. They did everything they were going to do. The priest who came to give Charles his last rights and they took that opportunity to renew their wows. Charles briefly opened his eyes during the brief ceremony. It was his way to say goodbye to his beautiful and courageous bride.


Charles is survived by his wife Huguette Abega, his sons London Abega, Joviel Abega and Jeffrey Abega.   His remains were sent to Cameroon on Friday Thanks to the to the assistance of our family and friends in Belgium. Huguette Abega will finish the trip to Spartanburg in the USA to take care of their affairs before heading to Cameroon to the funeral later. Donation to support Huguette during this difficult time will be very appreciated. Please  join us and let's support Huguette Abega and give a befitting burial to her beloved   Charles Abega check campaign link: gofundme.com/y5x7n-charles-roger-abegas