Thank you: From Mum and Tita

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA in Finschaffen
MUM Marengo Joseph gets emotional when she thinks about the day she will no longer be around to look after her disabled teenage son Tita Nonang.
At their Bugaim village in Finschaffen, Morobe, the 50-year-old single mother of five could not hold back the tears as she thanked a group of police officers and two companies, including this newspaper for the kindness they showed.
The police officers led by Sergeant John Bain, after noticing the plight of Tita who moved around using his right arm, had decided to provide him a wheelchair.
After their appeal for assistance was published in this newspaper last week, the Lohberger Engineering Limited, volunteered to provide Tita, 18, a wheelchair. Company staff handed over the wheelchair to Sgt Bain in Lae on Tuesday, who took it to the village with his police team to hand it over to Tita and his mum on Wednesday.
The National also provided the family with food and household items.
Fellow villagers gathered around to witness the handing over of the gifts to the family. Tita was all smiles as he tried out his wheelchair, immediately asking his uncle Tita Senior to push him around the lawn as if to show it off to the villagers.
Marengo tells of the days when Tita gets upset and angry.
“I try to reason with him. He can use the toilet by himself and showers himself. But there are days when he needs my help. That’s when I try to be there.”
She is a single mother of three girls and two boys. Her husband had left the family years ago.
“My oldest daughter is married and lives in Lae. Tita is the second eldest. My third child is in Grade 10 and has just finished her exams. The fourth is in primary school and the last is in elementary.”
She did not know when Tita was born about his condition as she had a “normal pregnancy and gave birth normally”.
It was not until Tita started to move around that she realised something was wrong.
“When we tried to get him to walk, he couldn’t. So I took him to the Braun Hospital. They checked him, tried everything but he still couldn’t walk.”
She was promised that a walking aid would be provided for Tita but nothing happened.
“I tried everything but he couldn’t walk. So I started to take care of him.”
She thanks God and her large extended family for helping her take care of her family alone.
She leaves Tita alone at home when she goes to the garden which is nearby, or to Gagidu station to sell garden produce.
Tita always sits on the side of the road waiting for her to return.
Marengo thanks The National for the donation of food and household items.
“The food will last us for a few months and we are grateful to The National for giving us food, household items and T-shirts.”
Marengo’s granddaughter Theresa who is five says her Uncle Tita likes to go to church and always makes his way there first to sit in the front. Morenga will be forever grateful to Sgt Bain and his team, the Lohberger Engineering Ltd and The National for their king gesture which brought a ray of sunshine into their lives.
She wipes a tear and says: “Thank you.”
As for her family, she assures them of a mother’s unending love – especially for Tita.
“I would not trade my son for another son. God made him the way he is. I am thankful for my son.”