The 52-year-old mother of two decided to quit her full-time job for something that has won over the hearts of millions. She wanted to care for an elderly dementia patient she had met while driving for Uber. The woman from Ohio, Segi Tekletsion does not regret her decision one bit as says it has been a life-changing and rewarding experience for her.
20 years go, the 52-year-old, who goes by Jenni, arrived in the U.S. from Ethiopia to Columbus, Ohio. Jenni, who was a senior banker for an investment bank, has been invested in such generous efforts right from the start. While her job as a banker, she would drive an Uber on Friday and Saturday nights to raise money for an orphanage in Ethiopia.
She also saw it as an opportunity to meet new people and preach the gospel. In February 2020, during one such ride, she met 88-year-old Paul Webb. He had booked an Uber to visit a restaurant but to his disappointment, everything was closed due to Covid-19. Despite this, Jenni picked him up and drove him to Verizon to at least fix his phone.
At the end of the trip, she gave the elderly man her personal phone number after realizing that he was lonely and required help. The following day, Webb called the mother-of-two. “We went to the store to buy him milk,” shared Jenni. “After that, I started to see him more often and built a relationship … I feel like he is my dad, and doing this gives me satisfaction.”
Then 8 months back she decided to quit her well-paying job and become a full-time caretaker of Webb in his Winchester home. Although she is getting half the amount of her previous salary, Jenni regards it as the best decision of her life. “I think this is the beginning of God’s plan for me,” the 52-year-old said. “Everything I do is from my strong faith in God, and I show it practically.
Jenni, who is currently studying for a doctoral degree in business, became a full-time caregiver to Paul, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2017 after he constantly refused to check himself into an assisted living facility. While her husband was not aware of her decision, her son, daughter and friends thought she was “crazy” for taking such a step. But for her, it’s the right choice.
“Paul held my hand and told me that he didn’t want to go to assisted living,” she said of the confirmation she need. Jenni also connected with the elderly man’s children over the phone back in 2020 but says it was really hard to gain their trust. “It just took time, a lot longer for my sister than myself,” said the man’s 66-year-old son, Keith. “My wife and I had prayed for someone to come into my dad’s life. [Jenni] said that she would care for my dad because the Lord told her to.”
