WHEN life takes a turn, remember, there is a God who can turn things around for you.
Sireli Vuetibau, 65, lives by these words, meditating on them every day and always reminding himself to be grateful no matter his circumstances.
“I was 49 years old when I suffered a stroke,” Mr Vuetibau said.
“It was just another morning at work. I was working for the then Native Lands Trust Board in Nadi when it happened.
“By 10am that day, I felt weakness in the right side of my body, and soon after, I had suffered the stroke and it affected my hands and legs.”
He said he was admitted at the hospital in Nadi for two weeks, before being transferred to Suva where he spent another two weeks.
“I didn’t have any illnesses prior to that, and the stroke just affected me that morning.
“I was bedridden for three weeks at home after the hospitalisation.
“I still have difficulty speaking. It has been 15 years since I had the stroke, and my speech is still affected, but I have learnt to just put my trust in God.”
Among his worries in the wake of the stroke was how he would pay off the house he and his family lived in.
“I was fortunate I had insurance, and when I couldn’t work any more, that insurance was what paid off the double-storey house my family and I were living in.
“That was my biggest worry – housing – and we were fortunate that it was taken care of.
“Today, I earn by renting out one of the flats and that’s how I’ve sustained myself and my family’s livelihood.”
Mr Vuetibau said in addition to having faith, he encouraged people to also consider taking up insurance policies that could come in handy in unexpected situations.
