Isireli Ropate Lalakai, 14, was in a coma for nine days after he was hit by a car in Labasa around September last year.

He allegedly crossed in front of a parked bus when the incident happened at Basoga Road.

He was told that he would not be able to walk properly again.

Today, Isireli is a Year Nine student of Labasa Sangam College.

“If being hit by a car and a coma cannot stop me from living a normal life again, Cyclone Yasa should not stop Fijians from rising and rebuilding again,” he said.

His mother Finau Matavesi said her son was healed through prayers.

She said the accident was a lesson for her family. It made them realise their roles and responsibilities as parents.

Mrs Matavesi was told to accept that her son may not fully recover from the accident and it would take months for him to recover.

The mother-of-five children pushed aside those comments and with faith and dedication ensured Isireli fought on.

“Isireli is a humble boy, who would go out of his way to help anyone that needed it. That is why when the news of his accident reached his school, the school devoted five minutes every morning to mention Isireli in their prayer,” Mrs Matavesi said.

He was then a Year Eight student at Bethel Primary School.

“His classmates visited him at the ICU and prayed for him, and many other people who he had helped including the women’s group from our church.

“After six weeks of being away from school, Sireli walked through the school gates, all the students rushed to greet him as their prayers had been answered.”

Mrs Matavesi was a bit reluctant when Isireli said he wanted to sit for his Year Eight exams.

“The doctors had advised not to put pressure on his brain,” she said.

“I was worried because he also missed the revision period.

“He sat for his exams and got a B grade. He always wanted to go to Labasa Sangam and was happy to be enrolled and began classes on the first week of school.”

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