‘Angel’ Dad-To-Be Dies After Going Out to Buy Milk in Blizzard | “When You Called Him to Help You, He Would Help”

Buffalo is experiencing a blizzard labeled by the National Weather Service as “life-threatening,” “once in a generation,” and “crippling," per The Washington Post. There are now 39 people who have died in Erie County from the blizzard, according to a New York Times report. In this crippling condition, Abdul Sharifu of Buffalo, 26, N.Y., left his home on Christmas Eve to get milk and other supplies for a friend and never returned. He was soon to become a father and was excited to have his first son in a few days. "He was always sharing with the other young men in the community how he will become a father, to be called father," his uncle, Enock Rushikana, told WGRZ.

Despite the difficult weather conditions, which brought about 52 inches of snowfall across Buffalo over four days, according to The New York Times, Sharifu felt compelled to help. "Anytime you call up Abdul, he was ready to go," his uncle, Enock Rushikana said. "He was ready to leave his duty to help," he added. Sharifu told his wife Gloria that he would wait for the storm to calm down. This did not happen for a long time and he had to finally leave his house to buy the supplies. At last, he was found lying in the snow six blocks from home hours later.

"We got him in the car. I took off my coat, took off my hoodie," Savannah Jordan, who spotted Sharifu in the street said. "Tried to wrap him up as much as I could. He was breathing shallowly. He still had a pulse." According to a Kaleida Health report, "The driver of the vehicle carrying Mr. Sharif’s body pulled up to the main lobby/valet entrance of Buffalo General Medical Center, not the emergency department entrance," and those doors are locked at 9 p.m. each night. Sharifu was declared dead after being taken to a local hospital. 

"I can't believe he left me," 28-year-old Ally Sharifu, a cousin, told the Washington Post. "My cousin was too good of a man. When you called him to help you, he would help," Ally also spoke to CNN. "That's why he went outside to get the milk because he wouldn't care what the outside looks like, he will try to come and help you."

During a press conference, authorities said Sharifu had gone out to get food for his wife, but Ally claimed that he had left to retrieve food for another family. A GoFundMe campaign set up on December 27, says Gloria is pregnant and expecting to give birth "this week."

Sharifu moved to the US from Congo in 2017 after spending about five years in a refugee camp in Burundi. Rushikana said Sharifu's parents died in Congo's 2002 civil war. "He was raised as an orphan, so he had this dream to go back and help those kids who lost their parents in the civil war," he said of Sharifu. "He was an angel in our community. We nicknamed him '911,' because whoever called him, he was ready to help."

This is a developing story, and we’ll update you as we learn more. Information about the Buffalo snowstorm is swiftly changing, and WomenWorking is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency of developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication. You can check for information and seek help at Buffalo Blizzard Resources.

References:

https://www.wgrz.com/article/weather/severe-weather/buffalonian-dies-blizzard-leaves-behind-wife-unborn-son/71-ee8caefd-b3f0-4cf4-ac26-bae023cf89c4

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/nyregion/buffalo-western-new-york-winter-storm.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/28/buffalo-blizzard-death-toll-refugees/

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/29/us/buffalo-blizzard-victims-stories/index.html

Cover Image Source: GoFundMe