Community rallies to care for son of single mother killed in Toronto van attack
Reverend Ahangama Rathanasiri says he saw Renuka Amarasingha and her son at temple the day before the attack
Among the victims of Toronto's deadly van attack is Renuka Amarasingha. She was originally from Sri Lanka, but made Toronto her home more than 15 years ago.
She worked in nutrition services with the Toronto District School Board — and on Monday, she had just started work at a new school. It was her first day.
Amarasingha was a single mother and she leaves behind her seven-year-old son, Diyon. He still doesn't know that his mother was killed. A GoFundMe fundraising page under the name "Help Diyon have a bright future" has already raised over $200,000.
Ahangama Rathanasiri is the chief monk at the Mahavihara Buddhist Meditation Centre, which Amarasingha attended regularly.
As It Happens host Carol Off spoke to Rathanasiri about Amarasingha and what will happen to her son. Here is part of their conversation.
First of all, Reverend Rathanasiri, I'm sorry for your loss. What kinds of memories are you having of Renuka?
She was happy to come to the temple. Whenever she got any kind of bad feelings in her mind, she comes to the temple and get blessings.
I remember that when she was pregnant, her husband left her. At that time, she had difficulties so I talked to her and then gave her advice. There are many people in the world, that kind of people, who face many problems, and try to be courageous. Then she was happy, anyhow. With difficulties, she raised the child. Now the child is seven-years-old.
The last time I saw her [was] on the 22nd. This incident happened on the 23rd. I saw her [then] because we had the celebration here, New Year's celebration — that is Sri Lankan New Year.
So we wanted to show the values of the New Year's celebration to the students at our Sunday school. Nearly 200 students are studying at our Sunday school. This boy is one of them. Renuka had brought the child to that celebration.
And so your last memories of her, your last image, is this happy day of Sri Lankan New Years with her son. It must have been a good day.
Oh yeah, of course. She was very happy on that day. Some friends told me that she talked to them and hugged them and talked nicely because she came from Sri Lanka very recently. I think a couple of days before.
It is an amazing thing that before the death she went to Sri Lanka and visited her mother. She talked to her and only two siblings, elderly ones. She talked to them too. And I heard that she is the one who looked after the mother.
Did she take her son with her to Sri Lankan?
Yes, yes.
Wonderful. So the grandparents saw their boy. What's going to become of him? Can you tell us a bit about her son and what will happen now?
He is living with the family where Renuka lived. Renuka rented that house, the basement of that house. She lived with her son in that basement. So the people in that house, the couple in that house, look after the child now.
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And how is the boy doing? Do you know if he has been told?
I heard that he doesn't know about the demise of the mother. He doesn't know. He cannot understand that much.
Do you know anything about the boy's father — if he has come back?
Renuka told me that three months after she was pregnant that person left. Friends also told me that he had no connection with the child.
I understand there has been a fundraising campaign for her...
We have to look after the child. Our people are very generous. Not only Sri Lankan, but also Canadians from different backgrounds.
Did Renuka have any family here in Toronto?
No, she doesn't have any relatives here. But friends are like relatives. Friends are very friendly with her. They are very concerned. They are very sad about the demise of Renuka because she's generous, kind and helpful to the friends. So what to do? This is life. We have to face these types of problems in the world.
According to Buddhism, we teach them to understand the impermanence. Before we die, one day or another, everybody has to face this reality. Therefore, we should reflect on the true nature of life. Everything is changing. All the suffering created because of the attachment. That is what the Buddha said. Many type of people are in the world. We cannot correct them. What we have to do is correct ourselves.
Written by John McGill. Interview produced by Julian Uzielli. Q&A edited for length and clarity.