"Mother's Sewing Machine"

A poor mother and her two children, a son and a daughter, lived in a remote village. Her love for her children kept her going through the difficult times in her life. One day, when the boy was just ten years old, a white spot appeared on his face. At first, the mother thought it would go away. However, the spot began to cover his entire body within a few months. She became concerned, but she lacked the funds to visit a doctor. After months of saving every coin, she finally took her son to a doctor. Several tests were done, and the diagnosis came—vitiligo.

The doctor prescribed six months of medicine and advised the use of two ointments. However, the ointments were prohibitively expensive. She returned home with only the medications and a heavy heart, unable to purchase the ointments. The boy's condition got worse over the course of the day. His skin changed, and so did people’s attitudes. Although the disease did not affect him physically, it tore him apart mentally. His confidence shattered.

His mother gently told him to go to school one morning. Spend time with your buddies. It will make you happy.” Obeying her, he started attending school regularly. But happiness never came. His friends stared, whispered, laughed, and slowly began to avoid him. Some called him names. Others wouldn’t even sit beside him. The boy felt like a stranger in his own world.

One afternoon, he returned home silently. As soon as he saw his mother, he hugged her tightly and broke down in tears.

"What took place, my son?" she asked, alarmed.

He whispered, "I don't want to go to school anymore, Ma." “They laugh at me, call me names… no one wants to play with me.”

The mother hugged him even tighter. Both of their cheeks were wet with tears. She cried, "Why only sorrow over our fate, O God? I cannot feed my children properly, and now this illness…?”

The mother made a choice that night, unable to sleep. “I must do something. I can’t watch my son suffer like this.”

One day, she heard a man talking about an NGO that had come to their village. They were offering free tailoring training. They would award a certificate and even a sewing machine to those who successfully completed the course. It appeared to be a message from above. She jumped right in and joined the program. For three months, she trained day and night. She completed the course, earned her certificate, and received a sewing machine as promised.

Clutching the machine, she whispered with tearful eyes, “Oh God, You have given me courage when I had none. I'm grateful. From that day on, she worked tirelessly—sewing clothes for the villagers, doing house chores, and caring for her children. She began earning enough slowly to pay for food and the medicine. With her first income, she bought the ointments the doctor had prescribed six months ago. She began giving her son the medicine on time, every single day.

But life can be cruel. The skin condition of her son got worse despite all of her efforts. People began to fear it was leprosy. Panic grew in her heart.

She took him back to the doctor. The doctor, surprised, asked, “Didn’t I prescribe six months of treatment?”

After giving a soft nod, the mother said, "Sir, I couldn't afford the medicines at first." I started the treatment only in the last six months.”

The physician paused. "Are you the only member who earns money?" She replied, “Yes, sir. I don't have a husband. To feed my children and purchase medicines, I sew clothes and perform all of the labor myself. Hearing her story, the doctor went silent. Then his eyes filled with tears. “I salute you, mother. You're braver than the majority of warriors. I can't say anything.” That day, the mother left the clinic with her son, not with despair—but with a renewed strength. For though poverty and illness had tried to break them, her love stitched every torn hope back together—just like the clothes she sewed every day.

This story is about a mother’s love and resilience. Please comment if it moved you.

Please comment if this story touched your heart. Your appreciation inspires us to tell more stories of courage, love, and survival