Nothing is more powerful than a mother’s love for her child, and this story exemplifies how strong that link truly is. Ada Keating, 98, has joined her eldest son Tom, 80, in the Moss View care facility in Liverpool to care for him, and the two get along just fine.

Ada and her late husband Harry had four children: Tom, Barbara, Margi, and Janet, who died when she was 13 years old. Tom worked as a painter and decorator at HE Simm Building Services, which was then located on Prescot Road, until retiring. Tom moved to Moss View in 2016 because he required extra assistance.

Ada and her son are inseparable and enjoy spending time together, particularly while playing video games and watching Emmerdale. “I say goodnight to Tom in his room every night, and I’ll go say good morning to him,” Ada, a former auxiliary nurse, explained. “When I go to the hairdresser, he’ll look for me to see when I’ll return. He’ll rush to me with his arms wide and give me a huge embrace when I get back.”

Tom is also pleased with how things are going. “They’re very nice here, and I’m glad to see my mother more now that she lives here.” She takes excellent care of me. ‘Behave yourself!’ she’ll remark at times.”

“It’s very touching to see the close relationship both Tom and Ada share, and we are so pleased we were able to accommodate both of their needs,” said Philip Daniels, facility manager. “It’s very rare to see mothers and their children together in the same care home, and we certainly want to make their time together as special as possible.”

As Ada put it, “You never stop being a mom.”