Tribute to mothers who take care of their sick adult children

The usual expectation is adult children taking care of their elderly parents. But often roles are reversed with elderly parents having to nurse their stricken adult children.Mothers lead in being caregivers. Special mental and psychological support in invaluable especially in anyone who’s been in a tragic incident.Recently I visited a friend who was involved in a tragic accident in Nairobi in November 2014. By his bedside was his elderly mother who has been there from the day of the accident. My friend is recovering well.

The sight of the old lady taking care of her adult son in the ward reminded me of an inspiring story of Mr. MacOdida, a patient who had a chronic disease in 1993 in a Kisumu hospital.

Mr. McOdida was admitted in the amenity ward having been transferred from a prestigious hospital in Nairobi. This was thought due to the nature of his disease he was “.about to die”

While on the ward, McOdida had lost so much weight that he was light enough to be carried by his elderly mother. The mother used to carry him out of bed to take him out for sun shine and returning him.

McOdida had been a flamboyant business man in Mombasa where he fell ill from a medical disorder that did not have treatment at the time. The condition was regarded as terminal.

Despite being a rich man with means, all his two wives and children had abandoned him and transferred him to Kisumu “to await death”.The sad reality is his wives on children would only appear when they required him to sign cheques for them to withdraw money for utilities. On a good day McOdida would remark that now he realizes it’s only his mother who truly loved him. The rest all they needed was money. He would often encourage me to take care of my mother as I had seen what the mother was doing for him. The mother was changing and washing his nappies as though he was a baby. A thing none of his wives or children would do.

McOdida somehow recovered well enough and was discharged home.

I noted my friend is on his way to full recovery and will be out of hospital soon. I am greatly inspired by the love and dedication mothers have for their children. I respect you all mothers.