NOT many of us are motivated or inspired by watching someone who is not physically fit and incapable.
But at the age of 88, Frank Hilton said the 10 children under his care at Hilton House is the purpose of his life.
"The source of motivation to live and do things at this age, the things I have always done in the past 25 years, is what keeps me going. I would not have lived this long without these children.
"My admiration for them pushes me on every day to work and put 10 meals, three times a day on the table."
Hilton House provides accommodation to 10 disabled children from outside Suva.
The Englishman was born in a working class family, served in the Royal Air Force during the war, became a teacher before he moved to Australia in 1958.
That year, Mr Hilton saw and advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald which was looking for someone to develop a special education in Fiji.
He applied, got the job and started at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital with 18 children with mixed disability, mostly caused by the polio epidemic in 1958.
"There was no doubt about the need for a special school at the time especially when I started to see many children who needed to be brought up in a special educational environment," he said.
The idea gave birth to the Suva Crippled School which was opened in 1968 and later changed to Hilton Special School on the request of parents.
Mr Hilton said all these years he has been motivated by the struggle he saw every day on the children's face.
"My inspiration come from these children. I see them every day, some want to speak but can't, some want to hear but cannot and there are some who want to walk but cannot.
"It is a huge challenge but I am happy for the support of the Government and donor agencies for having faith in the work we do."
He said women knew how to raise children who were not physically challenged but disabled ones needed special assistance which was provided at Hilton House.
"Now I know that the concept of special education in Fiji including Hilton Special School and Hilton House will be in good hands if I die tomorrow," he said.
Mr Hilton is president of the Fiji Crippled Children Society and is a recipient of the Fiji Independence Medal, Order of the British Empire, the Companion Order of Fiji and the Fiji 25th Anniversary of Fiji Commemorative Medal.
His work permit was renewed several times under a special request at that time before he was given Fiji citizenship.
