A couple’s dream to raise a child were shattered when their adopted son died from an injury he suffered during the devastation of severe Tropical cyclone Winston a year ago today.

The couple, Kelevi Radavoro, 50, and Lisi Koveni, 46, adopted the late Josefa Tumua when he was only three-years-old. They lived in Toa settlement,near Naiserelagi Village in Ra.

Josefa, 12, is the son of Ms Koveni’s younger brother who had separated from his wife when Josefa was just a toddler.

Mr Radavoro tried hard to fight back tears as he retold the events leading to the death of his son.

“The three of us were having dinner at home at around 7pm on Saturday and that’s when the wind was just getting too strong,” he said.

“We did not expect the wind to be that strong, so straight after dinner my son headed for his bed. I think he dozed off because when everything started shaking and moving I had to wake him up.

“We were all huddled together in one corner when the beams and the tins started falling down on us, the wind was fast and furious and we were stuck under the fallen beams until the early hours of the morning when the wind died down.”

The family than tried to remove all the fallen debris and saw that Josefa’s knee had suffered a deep cut caused by a corrugated iron roof that fell on them that night.

“He was losing lots of blood so I carried him to the village so we can find a transport or something to the hospital but all this was too late as he lay dead in my arms arriving into the village.”

The Naiserelagi native said they still live in the same house but every day was a struggle because they missing their son.

“He was a very smart boy and obedient child, I miss him every day.”

The family will commemorate Josefa’s death this week at their family home.