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to ease the pain.” After struggling with the disease for years, Gideon soon found hope – Ekisa Ministries, an organization founded by two women in 2010 in Uganda, Africa, that helps children with disabilities, learned about Gideon and his condition and began helping his family. “Up until this point, I had never seen a doctor,” he emphasized. “They took me to the capital city of Kampala to see a Sickle Cell specialist, and I began taking medication for the first time in my life [when I was 5 years old].”
He continued, “Ekisa tried to help my family care for me, but my condition became so severe that eventually I went to live at the [organization’s] children’s home.”
During his time at the children’s home, he met Olivia Ricketts, an American with familial ties to Vidalia. She began taking care of Gideon during her visits to Uganda, and the pair soon formed an inseparable bond.
Gideon continued receiving treatment for his disease, but also began attending a boarding school near the Ekisa Ministries location in Uganda. He remained in contact with his family, visiting the village whenever he could on school breaks. “In 2019, Olivia moved to Uganda, and she and I became very close,” Gideon remarked. “She started taking me to all of my doctors’ appointments, and in 2020, she became my foster mom. On 2021, she took me to America for a doctor’s appointment to see how we could improve my health. In 2022, I came back to spend the holidays with my American family.”
It was during this visit to America that Gideon and Mayor Doug Roper met, as Gideon was in Vidalia to visit his Great Aunt Chrystal Waller. “Olivia Inman “formerly Olivia Ricketts”, who is the niece of Chrystal Waller, had him in town for a visit and I was invited up to our Downtown Vidalia Association office to meet Gideon,” Roper reminisced. “We had an immediate connection. He is such an easy young man to fall in love with. During that initial visit, I gave him one of my Mayor t-shirts from when I was campaigning and apparently, he thought it was the coolest thing ever. When he got back home to Uganda, I was sent a picture of him wearing the shirt and learned he was telling everyone back in Uganda that he was my Mayor Pro Tem.”
Soon after the visit, Gideon returned to boarding school in Uganda, and his health began declining again. He planned to return to the United States in 2023 for Olivia’s wedding, but challenges soon arose.
“Her fiancé George [Inman]. A good friend of mine, asked me to be his groomsmen. I was excited and happily accepted his offer,” Gideon said. “I left Uganda on November 13 eager to reach America. During the flight, I started experiencing back and hip pain; it quickly became excruciating. When I reached Atlanta, the airline attendant had to push me in a wheelchair to arrivals. Olivia immediately knew that I was ill, and we assumed I was in a Sickle Cell crisis – something pretty common for me. She drove me back home and there, a hot bathtub of warm water was waiting. That, along with pain medication, eased the pain slightly, so I went to sleep. The next morning, Olivia tried to wake me up, but I did not move a muscle.”
Olivia realized that Gideon was unconscious, and rushed him to the nearest hospital. After numerous tests, doctors decided that Gideon needed a CT scan to determine what could possibly cause his sickness. “My American family waited anxiously for the result; when the doctor entered the waiting room, every eye was on him,” Gideon added.
The doctor informed Gideon’s family that he was having a large bifrontal epidural hematoma – a brain bleed. Gideon immediately went into emergency surgery in an attempt to save his life.
“My family was shocked – they could not believe this was happening. They came to say their goodbyes, not knowing if I continued from page
would make it through the surgery,” Gideon stressed.
After several hours, Gideon successfully made it through surgery, though doctors were unsure what his future outcome would be. He was flown to the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta for further treatment.
“Upon arrival, the hospital staff realized that my brain was still bleeding,” he continued. “I was rushed back into the operating room for a second operation. Thankfully, I made it through alive.”
Gideon was kept in a medically induced coma for weeks to allow the swelling on his brain to subside and his body to rest. “The doctors told my family that they were not sure if I would wake up, or if I did, what cognitive function I would have left,” he said. “Miraculously, I woke up! In even better news, my brain was functioning properly and I was the same silly boy as before.”
He continued, “It wasn’t all good news though, because I lost my eyesight. Adjusting to my new way of living was not easy. It took a lot of hard work and determination to regain my independence. I spent over two months in rehabilitation working with physical, occupational, and speech therapists. I relearned how to speak, eat, and walk. After graduating from rehab, the doctors decided it would not be a good idea for me to continue living in Uganda because of the lack of proper healthcare available there. So, I moved in permanently with Olivia and George, my new mom and dad.” Today, 17-year-old Gideon lives in Greenville, South Carolina, with his new parents and continues to navigate his new American life. Yet, one thing has not changed through it all: he remains Gideon of Good Cheer.
“While this experience was difficult and losing my eyesight was devastating, God gave me the courage to persevere. I’m thankful that God saved my life and has given me a forever family to stand by my side through it all,” he reflected. “Sometimes, God uses your pain to write a better story than you had in mind! John 16:33 says, ‘In this world, you shall have trouble, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.’ In my greatest time of trouble, God provided for me and gave me more than I could have ever dreamed of. He has helped me to be of good cheer, and now I want to spread my cheer to others!”
Gideon continues to spread his cheer to others, including his friend Mayor Roper, whom he has stayed in contact with since the pair’s first meeting. It was during one of Gideon’s encouraging talks that Roper had an idea to make his friend’s Christmas visit to Vidalia something he would never forget.
Roper said, “During the [Hurricane Helene], [Gideon] sent me a video of encouragement that really touched my heart. The timing of the video was absolutely perfect because it was during one of the times I needed a pick-meup and Gideon provided it. In the video, he shared his favorite verse, John 16:33, which says “In the world you shall have trouble, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” When you hear and understand his life story, it’s clear to see that Gideon not only embraces this verse but walks it out. Through all of his challenges, he remains Gideon of Good Cheer. In my opinion, he is a young man that is truly inspirational, and I wanted a way to honor him and shine a spotlight on his outlook on life.”
He continued, “That is when I had the thought about the Christmas parade. If he already tells people he is my Mayor Pro Tem, I wanted to upgrade him for the day and make him our Honorary Mayor for the day and the two of us ride together in the parade. In addition to being our Honorary Mayor that day, he will be given a shirt with our city seal and presented with a proclamation to mark the occasion.”
Gideon commented on his excitement about his travel to Vidalia. “I cannot wait to be back there and to visit with all of my family and friends,” he emphasized.
Roper said that honoring Gideon is something that just felt right, as he has been impacted greatly through the pair’s friendship. “What do I think people can learn from him? If this young man, having gone through all he has gone through in life can remain of good cheer, so can I. If everyone, no matter the circumstance, remained of good cheer, this world would be a different place,” he commented.
In the Vidalia Christmas Parade the pair cruised down U.S. Highway 280 in style, as they rode in a classic car and greeted the community with the same cheer he lives his daily life.
