A single mother has spent years traveling the world with her son clinging to her shoulders after she vowed to give him the best life she possibly could.
Niki Antram, now 43, had already planned their next trip when the pandemic struck.
She is concerned that she’s not getting any younger and it is getting more tiring to carry her son, now 26, on her back.
Niki was 17 when she gave birth to Jimmy Antram, who was born with mental and physical disabilities and requires round-the-clock care from his mother.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, she said: “Planning big holidays, I always make sure I have plenty of nappies, clothes, and even bed pads, sheets and pillowcases.”
She plans a detailed itinerary and makes calls for every place they want to visit.
“Even if I know we will be okay I like to inform the companies to give them a heads up about us to make sure they understand and are okay with having us there,” she shared.
Niki considers herself lucky that her son shares similar interests and they both enjoy outdoor adventures.
“From Hawaii to Bali I’d be staying out all night with Jimmy because he was a party animal like me at the time,” she expressed.
“I will with Jimmy find ways to get him the best and most adventurous life, and most of the time, it’s the simplest things that he loves the most.”
When the mother and son are not traveling, they wake up early in the morning for a bike ride. Before they go out, Niki has already made breakfast, fed her son, and washed his sheets from the night before.
Even though her daily routine is very exhausting, the single mother is determined to give Jimmy the best life she could provide.
“He’s my inspiration,” she said.
“I see him… He’s always happy, smiling… He doesn’t see me in a conventional way, but I’m sure he has a vision of what I look like in his mind.”
“Sometimes I ask myself how can I be sad when I see Jimmy, who has never seen colours, clouds or rainbows and he is just sitting with a smile,” Niki continued.
She admitted that her heart broke when she found out that her son was permanently blind and it took “a long time to overcome those feelings of hurt.”
“Being a mum so young, I didn’t get that carefree life that most 17-year-old’s get,” she expressed. “I had responsibility.”
The two made plans to go on a trip to Canada before the borders closed due to the pandemic.
One person commented: “What a beautiful and giving person! This story is so inspirational. God bless these two on their journeys through life.”
Another wrote: “Best wishes to them, truly amazing.”
A third said: “I can only imagine the will power and strength of this mother. Beautiful love indeed.”
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