It seems like not that long ago for Akinji Donaldson that he was trying to balance his home life with his work life. The 36 year old had been running his event planning company for a while, and was keeping the business coming in while trying to spend as much time as he possibly could with his son, 9-year-old Kimani Awad Ibben Daoud Donaldson. Akinji Donaldson kept finding that work duties called him away at critical times, interrupting the connections he was working so hard to make with his son. Event planning can be a 24/7 job, requiring you to be on call in case anything comes up at the last minute. Something always comes up at the last minute. Finally one day Akinji Donaldson had had enough; he sold the company, stopped working, and became a full time father to his son. Since then things have never been better, Akinji Donaldson says, and he has never looked back.

“Caring for my son full time has been a blessing, an undeniable blessing,” Akinji Donaldson says with pride. “I am so grateful to be in a position where I am able to take care of my son and give him all the attention he deserves, to be there for him for whatever he may need. It’s a real great feeling. I love it, and I love him.”

Akinji Donaldson’s love for his son is heartwarming to see. In every action he performs, one can sense the love and affection behind it. “My son is so important to me,” says Akinji Donaldson, but he hardly has to say it; one can sense it in everything he does.

A former semi-pro baseball player, Akinji Donaldson retired in order to be closer to his son. Akinji Donaldson says he hopes that little Kimani will grow up to love baseball as much as he himself does; perhaps Kimani will become a baseball player, as well. Perhaps Kimani will even be good enough to turn pro. Whether he is or not, Akinji Donaldson will be there every step of the way, and be proud of his son no matter what.