“Moce Na, moce Jo”: Ravonu’s final goodbye

Moce na (bye mum) and moce Jo, sa oti (bye Jo, it's finished).

These words will forever echo in mum Maria Tuisawau and big broth­er Jo's ears.

These were deceased Fiji Bati for­ward Mesake Ravonu's final words at his death bed on Monday in Nadi after his two-year battle with a kid­ney disease.

An emotional Tuisawau said her son fondly known as Mes never gave up when diagnosed with IgA Ne­phropathy- an autoimmune kidney disease two years ago.

Tuisawau said her son's dream of signing a NRL (National Rugby League) contract with the Canter­bury-Bankstown Bulldogs senior team almost became a reality.

The late Ravonu, 23, became a Bull­dog ahead of the 2022 season when he joined the Jersey Flegg team. In 2024, through his resilience, he was the youngest member of the Fiji Bati squad in the NRL Pacific Champion­ships.

He then progressed into the Bull­dogs' New South Wales Cup squad but was forced into premature medi­cal retirement after his condition was discovered.

The Buretu, Tailevu talented ath­lete was the youngest of five chil­dren. He had attended Namaka Pub­lic School before moving on to Ratu Navula College then to Ratu Kada­vulevu School.

"My son was a strong man. He had three hits (attacks). On Monday after the first two, he agreed that we take him to Namaka for his massage. It was there that he had his third hit," his mum said.

"He turned to me said bye and then to his older brother.

"Earlier on, Mes thanked his sister for looking after him before she left to church.

"He was a fighter who refused to give up easily.

"During one of his dialysis ses­sions, he told us that if it is God's will for him to live, then he will live, but if it is his time, he will accept it.

"We spent 26 years living in the PRB (Public Rental Board) flat, where all my children were born. His sport­ing pathway somehow helped us. Together with his father's vision, we managed to buy a land where we plan to build a home."

According to Tuisawau, Ravonu fol­lowing his diagnosis returned home to do light training and plant cassava for his family.

"It is a difficult time for us, but my son knew his day was near and ac­cepted it."

The church service will be held to­day at the Anniversary Church at llam before his body is laid to rest at the Enamanu Cemetery in Nadi.