Tropical Cyclone Winston survivor Filomena Bogi believes God kept her alive for a reason.

“My family survived when we hid under a bed on that rough night when our house collapsed,” she recalled.

Her survival is among the many stories from those who were affected by the Category Five monster storm just over a week ago.

“That night I instructed my husband to take my kids to safety and then come back for me on the next morning,” Mrs Bogi said.

“I was under the bed which was trapped under our collapsed house the whole of Saturday night. It was too risky for my husband to get me out because it was too dark.”

The Bogis live on their farm at Delakado Village, Dawasamu, in Tailevu.

“My husband was able to get my children to safety that night and then early Sunday morning, he had to rush to the village which is about half-an-hour walk from our home to go and seek help.

“I could have died from the head injury I received during the cyclone. I thank God for keeping me alive and I believe He spared me for a purpose.”

Mrs Bogi is among the cyclone injured recovering at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) in Suva.

Edited by Maikeli Seru

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