"We came over to his house with a bag of goodies for him, just to introduce ourselves and ask him what he wanted for his wish," said Tanya Lovelady, office manager for Make-A-Wish Foundation Mississippi.
"He pulled out a little football from the bag and his face lit up. 'I was going to ask for a drum set, but this will be fine,' he said," said Lovelady.
Gabriel is an 8-year-old who suffers from sickle cell anemia. The genetic disorder affects red blood cells, making them weak and sickle-shaped. The damaged red blood cells affect blood circulation, depriving organs and tissue from oxygen.
The nightmare sliding through his veins has taken its toll on his body. Gabriel had a stroke when he was 3, which affected the left side of his body. His mouth was turned down at the corner, his arm was numb and he had difficulty walking.
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His father, Harry, remembers when Gabriel first went to the hospital after his stroke.
"The doctors wanted to do a blood transfusion, to get the bad blood out and fresh, healthy blood in. He didn't want them to put the needle in. It took about eight nurses to hold him down," said Giles.
"A few days later I was taking him to day care when Gabriel spoke up and said, 'Daddy, you can tell the nurses they won't have to hold me down next time.' When I asked him what changed his mind, he said that God was taking care of him, so he wasn't scared. It really shook me up, and I started crying, so I pulled over on the side of the road. I told Gabriel, 'Why don't you tell the doctors next time?' And that's what he did. He told the doctors God was taking care of him, and he calmly stuck his arm out," Harry said.
A week after the interview with Gabriel, Lovelady was passing through Greenwood on the way to her parents' hunting camp. Little Gabriel had been on her mind all week. She stopped at PayDay Loans, where her sister, Brenda Mullen, works.
Through conversation, Lovelady shared Gabriel's wish for a drum set.
Gabriel's story touched one of the staff, Katie Law. Her husband, Noel, grew up helping his father at his music store, Greenwood Electronics. He had worked there for eight years.
She knew that her husband still had connections in the music world. Surely he would know where to get a drum set for the little boy.
Law called her husband immediately after Lovelady left the store.
When Noel Law heard the story, he was reminded of his own 7-year- old son at home.
"The first thing I thought about was, if this kid is sick and all he wants is a drum set, then he should get it. The parents are spending their money on hospital bills, trying to keep him healthy. If it was my child, I would have bought him 10 drum sets if that would make him happy," said Noel Law.
Noel Law found what he was looking for at Charles Hall Music Studio. After explaining the story to Charles and his wife Roxanne, they agreed to take $200 off the drum set valued at $700.
It was an entry level Peavey International series, a good drum set for a student. Noel Law's experienced eye knew he was getting a good bargain.
Noel Law paid $250 down for the drum set and said he would pay the rest the following Saturday.
Roxanne Hall was glad to help. "It was just a heart warmer the whole way through. We're just real happy to get it shipped to him. I thought it was a very kind gesture on Mr. Law's part. The whole process was rewarding," she said.
Make-a-Wish was willing to cover the cost, and offered to refund Noel for his $250, but he refused.
"I wanted to pay for the whole thing but they wouldn't let me. I'm just glad it helped out the kid," said Noel.
The drum set was shipped to the Giles' residence in Clinton as a surprise. The third-grader has been beating on it since he got it.
Giles said from the minute Gabriel sat down, he beat on it until way past his bedtime.
"That kid loves to beat on things. I let Gabriel decide what he wanted, but he knew without a doubt it was a drum set," said Giles.
Gabriel has been tapping out rhythms since he was born.
"He started out with this little drum we've had in the family for years. Then he saw the movie 'Drumline,' which really got him going. But all he ever did before we got this drum set, was beat on things," Giles said.
"We had to start setting limits on how long he could play the drums, because we were trying to watch television," Giles chuckled.
"This wish means so much to me as a parent. That a stranger would pay for this drum set, shows me that people really care."
Doctors predict Gabriel will have sickle cell anemia for the rest of his life. But Gabriel feels otherwise.
"My little boy is a prayer warrior. He believes God has already healed him," said Giles.
