HONOLULU -- Sen. Barack Obama on Friday afternoon left Hawaii where he visited his gravely ill grandmother, Honolulu resident Madelyn Dunham, after spending time with her.

Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, sources told KITV. She celebrates her 86's birthday Sunday.

Obama arrived at "Toot's" (short for tutu, or grandmother) Beretania Street apartment at about 8:15 a.m. with a motorcade from a Hyatt Waikiki Hotel where he stayed overnight. He was scheduled to spend the day there before leaving in the evening for the mainland.

Out front of the apartment building a small crowd of well-wishers gathered. Many had gifts.

One woman brought carved wood flowers made into lei for Obama, his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and their grandmother.

"Let's pray and hope she can make it to the election and see her beloved grandson elected president -- the first African-American president of the United States," Vicky Bates said.

A couple that lived in the building next door said they were surprised to spot the Democratic presidential candidate strolling along on Young Street. He was walking alone, but Secret Service agents were not too far away.

"I went down the road and I saw Barack walking past Times (Supermarket), and I said, 'Oh my gosh,'" Makiki resident Janet Coehlo said.

"Everybody was screaming and running and I looked out of the window 'What is going on?' I had no idea and they said, 'Barack, Barack is here. Obama is here,'" Makiki resident Josef Werner said.

Shortly after 1 p.m. the Obama entourage left the Beretania Street high-rise bound for Waikiki. Obama ate lunch at the Waikiki Hyatt Regency Hotel, where he spent the night.

The motorcade returned to the Makiki apartment at about 2:30 p.m. for a final goodbye to the woman Obama affectionally calls "Toots," short for tutu, or grandmother in Hawaiian.

Dunham turns 86 on Sunday.

He is scheduled to appear in Reno, Nev. on Saturday.

Obama arrived Thursday night and spent an hour with his grandmother before going to Waikiki.

Friends said Obama's urgency to get here could be fueled by one of his greatest regrets. That is not being in Hawaii for the death of his mother, Ann Dunham, who died at age 52 of ovarian cancer.

He said he did not want to make the same mistake twice.

"One of the things I wanted to have a chance to sit down with her and talk to her. She's still alert and she still has all the faculties and I wanted to make sure that I don't miss that opportunity right now," Obama told ABC's "Good Morning America" before he left for the islands.

Obama's senior advisor Robert Gibbs said Obama's grandmother is tremendously important to him. Dunham and her husband, Stanley, raised Obama in a Beretania Street apartment.

"She's gravely ill. We weren't sure and I'm still not sure she'll make it to Election Day. We're all praying and we hope she does," Obama told "GMA."

The senator did not have any campaign events scheduled for Hawaii.

Political historians said it is the first time ever a presidential candidate has left the campaign trail so close to Election Day.

Obama's 85-year-old grandmother is suffering from cancer and recovering from a broken hip, a source told KITV. She celebrates her 86th birthday Sunday.