Stroke survivor left to raise son alone

In 2011 at the age of 24 and eight months pregnant, Mereia Siganisucu suffered a stroke.

Upon the doctor's advice, her parents (Pita Ligaiula Tuni and Selai Tayate) had to choose which one to live, their daughter or their grandson.

The only child of her parents had to undergo 11 hours of surgery and then recovered after two days of coma at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.

"I got so angry that it caused one of veins in my brain to bleed which led to stroke," Ms Siganisucu of Mua Village, Batiki Island in the Lomaiviti Group said.

"I could just lay down on the bed, unable to move my hands and legs for two years."

She married straight after graduating from the University of the South Pacific with Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Economics in 2010.

Tears rolled down from her eyes as she recalled her husband leaving her and the son behind.

"I used to cry seeing my baby laying down beside me crying for breastfeed milk," she said.

"My parents struggled to look a fter me, m y son and themselves at such as an old age."

Her baby became the motivation and inspiration to follow strict vegetarian diet and d o exercise.

"It was not until my mother challenged me to see who starts walking first whether I or my son, that I vowed to be the first," she said.

"Through grace of God I was able to walk before my son did and managed to start new life again."

The 37-year-old mother is jubilant her son, Tevita Lomaiviti is in Year Nine at Ratu Kadavulevu School.

She is working as a collection associate at ANZ Bank Pacific Operations in Suva and recently re-married.

She is pursuing her Postgraduate in Professional Accounting at USP.

"I couldn't live a normal life at the age of 24 and lost so many things in life after being bedridden for two years," she said.

"Through the support of my parents and CounterStroke Fiji which I am forever thankful for, I was able to live my life again to achieve dreams."

She is encouraging young women suffering from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as stroke to never give up living life.

"Seek professional help if your family is not supportive and trust in God even through the healing process moves slowly," she said.

"I used to write using left hand, but after stroke I lost the ability to move my arm and left leg.

"However, this has not stopped me from working to provide for my family."

She also thanked her husband, Jone Suka who is from Bua for choosing to support her and accept her inabilities.

Currently she moves around with CounterStroke Fiji advocating on stroke prevention.

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