60-year-old mother takes care of her two differently abled sons

Mayurbhanj: Being a mother to children with special needs means being a caregiver for entire lifetime and expecting nothing in return. Meet this mother from Siripur village in Mayurbhanj district who is tirelessly working round the clock providing unconditional love to her two ailing disabled sons.

60-year-old Bhagabati Sahoo  is the only support for her two ailing sons. While Bhagabati's elder son (28) is unable to walk due to some nerve disorder,  the younger one (25) is polio-stricken since childhood.

Adding to woes, Bhagabati lost her husband some 12 years back and only has a thatched house in the name of property. However, this has not deterred her from loving her sons unconditionally.

Though managing two square meals a day is difficult for her, Bhagabati has never kept her sons starving.

"Son or daughter, both are equal to me. I have seen people dumping their healthy babies on roadsides, in dustbins for different reasons. Today on Mother's Day, I would like to say that be it a girl or boy child, a mother should perceive both as same and equal," said Bhagabati.

"She loves her kids very much. Every alternative day, they need to be taken to the hospital for treatment. She is managing all the expenses with much difficulty," Sumati Sahoo, a villager.

Amita Behera, another local resident said, "As a mother, she would have loved to see her two sons walk, play, work and earn money. Despite all odds, Bhagabati has not given up fulfilling her duties as a mother "