FOR more then 30 years, Valavia Ranadi has taken good care of her 42-year-old special needs son –– Agapito Muawalu –– who is blind and handicapped.
The two live alone in a two bedroom house at Soasoa, outside Labasa town in the Northern Division.
In an old wooden house with no proper steps at the door and broken floor in most parts of the house, the 70- year-old mother has not given up on her son, who fell victim to a road accident in 1975.
Agapito was only seven years old then and a Class Two student of Holy Family Primary School.
A visit to the home yesterday morning saw Valavia, wiping down her tall and broad-built son whom she helps move around the house every day.
Agapito cannot walk so his mum, pulls him around the house whenever he wants to come out of his bedroom to see children and passers-by.
Valavia, who does not receive any financial assistance apart from Social Welfare, plants their own food –– including root crops and vegetables.
At times she goes out fishing for their meal and pulls cassava from her plantation.
And when Valavia is out at the farm or fishing, Agapito stays inside his room and sings Catholic hymns.
She said this has been her duty as a mother because there were no other providers and Agapito is her only child.
Surviving the past three decades looking after her son Valavia praised God for his guidance and strength considering her old age.
She said without God, she would not have survived the past three decades of farming, fishing and most of all, the task to care for her helpless son whom she loves very much.
Valavia said it has not been easy seeing her son grow inside a small room when he could have been out in the world with a successful career and good life.
Speaking of her younger days of nursing Aagapito, Valavia said she could carry him to the toilet and bathroom outside their house.
Today, she can no longer do that, because he is too heavy and age has also caught up with Valavia.
But, despite the hardships they've endured, Valavia believes that the important element of life, which they have not lost sight of, is their commitment to God.
