He lost his mom and his brother. How Bucks County teen found inspiration on court, beyond

PLUMSTEADVILLE — Phil Yallah came to America from Liberia at 9.

Nine years later, he's a well-adjusted and popular senior soccer standout and starting basketball guard at Plumstead Christian School with a seemingly ever-present smile.

You would never know the family tragedies he endured.

Devastating losses could have defined Phil Yallah

Mom Sarah died eight years ago of an unknown illness and brother Daniel, a soccer star and Philadelphia Union Academy graduate, died of liver cancer at 19 in November 2019.

"It is pretty amazing," said foster mother Mary Anderson. "When I tell people his story, it's almost like they think I'm making it up. It actually happened."

Phil, Daniel and younger sister Winner arrived in the U.S. with Sarah and father Henry in 2015, largely because of Daniel's soccer. They spent time in Texas and California before everybody but Daniel returned to Liberia in January 2016, only for Sarah to die unexpectedly.

Ten-year-old Phil found his ailing mother on the floor and she died shortly thereafter at the hospital.

Daniel was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in July 2019 and moved into his own apartment in Southwest Philadelphia with Phil and Winner for what turned out to be the final four months of his life.

"The whole time he was going through (having cancer), he was thinking about me and my sister," said Phil, noting Daniel started a GoFundMe account for them. "He took care of us the last (four) months he had."

Daniel was a mentor and role model to his younger brother, so then 14-year-old Phil tried to assume a similar role with Winner, who was 8 at the time.

"I had a lot of people who genuinely cared for me going through that," Phil said. "I grieved. It still hurts today, but I tried to put that emotion aside. My brother was very faithful. That kind of helped me. I know he went to a better place."

Inspiration and advice from beloved brother Daniel Yallah

Late in his abbreviated life, Daniel wrote a four-page letter to Phil. He asked his younger brother not to open it until he turned 18.

Phil read it right before Christmas, getting advice and encouragement from his beloved brother who has been gone four years now.

"It was really nice and thoughtful," said Phil of the letter, "to me and my whole family, telling us we shouldn't be worried."

Following Daniel's death, Phil moved in with foster parents Mary and Jeff Anderson in Washington Crossing and began attending Plumstead Christian as a freshman.

Matt Grubman, who had been Daniel's foster parent, is still 12-year-old sister Winner's guardian in Philadelphia. Phil had previously lived in Ardmore with another foster parent after his mom's death.

Phil Yallah finds way at Plumstead Christian

Phil was admittedly pretty reserved when he enrolled at Plumstead but soon began to blossom in school, soccer and basketball.

"Through sports and meeting people, I built up my confidence," he said. "My mom (Mary Anderson) says I'm kind of a big fish in a small pond at Plumstead."

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He's no longer shy. In a recent video wishing Plumstead boys basketball coach John Elton a happy birthday, a grinning Phil, basketball in hand, walks up to the camera at the end and hollers, "We love you, coach."

Daniel often wore Nos. 3 or 10 in soccer, so Phil honored him with No. 3 in his first three years of basketball at Plumstead before switching to No. 1 once it became available as a senior. In soccer, freshmen typically get the last picks for uniform numbers, but some upperclassmen knew about Daniel and saved No. 10 for Phil when he was in ninth grade.

"I really appreciated that," Phil said.

An attacking midfielder, Phil was voted the Bicentennial Athletic League Constitution Division Player of the Year last fall as a senior and is likely to end up playing soccer in college. He's still waiting to hear from several schools.

Elton marvels at Phil's resilience in the wake of so much tragedy at such a young age.

"He is a case study in overcoming," Elton said. "He is joyful and a natural, charismatic leader. The kids love him. … He is one of the reasons I stayed this year (as coach because) I wanted to see him through his senior year."

Senior center Tyler Tull sees Phil's positive attitude on a daily basis.

"You wouldn't think any of (those tragedies occurred)," Tull said. "When I first heard that, I was shocked. … He's one of my best friends. He's just going to do great things in the future."

New life and new opportunities

Living with the Andersons has been a joy for Phil, who appreciates how the couple he calls mom and dad treats him as if he were their natural-born son.

"I know how fortunate I am," he said. "It's just me, my mom and dad in the house. I'm the only child in the house (the Andersons' five children are older). I'm basically spoiled. I love it. They're extremely nice, down-to-earth people. … I feel blessed.

"My parents have really showed me the importance of education. I appreciate them for that. The amount of love their whole family has shown me, I appreciate that, too. I appreciate the school and the soccer team, the basketball team and all my friends. I honestly think I hit the jackpot with where I am now."

A family's love

So does Mary Anderson.

"Phil has brought more to us than we've ever given to him," she said. "He's such a special, unique man. I really believe he's going to have an impact in the world. There's something incredible in him."

The Andersons became involved after attending Daniel's funeral. Daniel had played soccer with Joe Anderson, the youngest of the Andersons' children. When the minister at Daniel's service asked who was going to help Phil and Winner, Mary Anderson felt like she had to act.

"It was really divine intervention," Mary Anderson said. "(Taking in Phil) wasn't something we set out to do — I was ready to be an empty nester. Sometimes you just have to say yes. It's been the greatest reward in all our lives."

Phil is leaning toward majoring in business administration or marketing in college. He'd like to work on Wall Street and share some of his good fortune.

"People who come from backgrounds like (me) have a lot to pay it forward," he said. "I feel like the Anderson family taking me in definitely makes me want to help people out in general, especially my family still in Liberia."

Father Henry and five older siblings remain in West Africa, where it's hot and things are far different than in America. Phil communicates the most with sisters Norah and Florence in Liberia as he flourishes in Bucks County with the Andersons.

"All the experiences I've had in life have definitely brought me to where I am now," Phil said. "My mom passing and my brother passing all had to happen for me to get here."

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Plumstead Christian's Phil Yallah finds inspiration in face of tragedy