WHO SAYS YOU GOTTA STAND UP TO STAND OUT?
He was an athlete in school when he was in highschool. He played basketball and was pretty good at it too. He would often be featured in their school paper, garnering points for their team whenever there's a meet. Unfortunately, in his third year in highschool, he became paralyzed, from the waist down to his toes. It was a very trying time for the family, but of course, more so for my brother.
It's not because of any disease. I think it was because he was careless. You see, whenever they have basketball practice, it would more often be held after school. He would go to practice, and afterwards, throw on a jacket, hop on a jeep and go home. Upon arriving, he would immediately have a shower before doing anything else, even before taking a rest. The doctors said this is what he did wrong. The sweat would dry up on his body, specially on his back while on the jeepney ride, with the wind blowing through his jacket. They said he should have either taken a shower first in school, while he was still sweating, or if he really had to go home immediately after practice, then he should have rested first before taking a shower, and a warm one at that.
For several years, they sought treatment, even going as far as Bicol, where they heard about this faith healer. My parents would spend all week at work, and on weekends, they would take the train to Bicol to visit my brother and be back in the city in time for another week's grind. I know they were pretty tired all the time. Eventually, my brother and my parents learned to accept the reality of his fate. Not that we lost hope that he would ever walk again, but life had to go on and we couldn't put everything on hold hopping from one location to the next, wherever it is said to be a healer existing. So my brother was brought back to the city where he tried to finish highschool in the school where my mother was then guidance counselor.
After graduation, my brother stayed at home for a while, not being able to go to work or continue to college. But don't think that he was at home spending the days bumming out. It was the time when water was scarce in the city and my brother, with the help of his friends, and a whole lot of them too, would fill drum after drum of water so everybody would have something to use at day's end. He would also tidy the house all by himself, cook dinner, take care of the plants and feed the dogs. It was amazing what he was able to do around the house inspite of his condition. And he was always, always cheerful.
After several years, my aunt helped enlist him to the AFP under the Air Force. He worked in the V. Luna Hospital, now AFP Medical Center, first as a wardman and then as a clerk at the Outpatient Department. When he was still a wardman, he met his wife, a pretty girl who looks like Amy Austria. Apart from his work at the hospital, he also played for the AFP team in sports events held for people with physical disabilities. At first he played in the basketball team, until he proved himself invaluable at table tennis. He's won a lot of awards; medals and trophies abound in their living room at home.
Through the years, my brother has been sent as representative of the Philippines in such events. He's been a constant silver medalist, with a few golds to his name. He has been to China, Indonesia, Japan twice, Malaysia and Thailand. A couple of years ago, he was supposed to have gone to Augusta, Georgia for another competition but there were not enough supporters in terms of funds. Sadly, the Philippine government doesn't have any allocations in their budget for such things. Last year, he was supposed to have come here to Singapore for another such event, but they got their funding late and could not register anymore.
For more than a couple of years now, my brother has been representing the country in wheelchair lawn tennis and has gone to Japan and Korea for such events but has yet to win a medal. In December, he's scheduled to go to Vietnam for a table tennis competition. He's being housed now in some sports facility in the Philippines for training, 5 days a week, and could only go home during weekends. So I suppose this time, the support for funding is quite ample.
He has three sons. Ryan, the eldest, is in first year college taking up nursing. The second is Kris and is in 3rd year highschool. The youngest is Kevin, and is in the 5th grade. They're pretty good kids. For boys, they do not squabble all that much, and they take responsibility for each other. My brother has provided for them quite well, considering. At the very least, he's giving them the best education within the limits of his capabilities.
Needless to say, the whole family is proud of him, not only for everything he has accomplished, not only for being able to adroitly support his family, not only because he refused to accept that his fate has limited his horizon.
My brother is standing tall, probably taller than he ever could if he was doing it on his legs. He is our family's own trophy for the triumph of human resilience.
Today is his birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIKO!
He was an athlete in school when he was in highschool. He played basketball and was pretty good at it too. He would often be featured in their school paper, garnering points for their team whenever there's a meet. Unfortunately, in his third year in highschool, he became paralyzed, from the waist down to his toes. It was a very trying time for the family, but of course, more so for my brother.
It's not because of any disease. I think it was because he was careless. You see, whenever they have basketball practice, it would more often be held after school. He would go to practice, and afterwards, throw on a jacket, hop on a jeep and go home. Upon arriving, he would immediately have a shower before doing anything else, even before taking a rest. The doctors said this is what he did wrong. The sweat would dry up on his body, specially on his back while on the jeepney ride, with the wind blowing through his jacket. They said he should have either taken a shower first in school, while he was still sweating, or if he really had to go home immediately after practice, then he should have rested first before taking a shower, and a warm one at that.
For several years, they sought treatment, even going as far as Bicol, where they heard about this faith healer. My parents would spend all week at work, and on weekends, they would take the train to Bicol to visit my brother and be back in the city in time for another week's grind. I know they were pretty tired all the time. Eventually, my brother and my parents learned to accept the reality of his fate. Not that we lost hope that he would ever walk again, but life had to go on and we couldn't put everything on hold hopping from one location to the next, wherever it is said to be a healer existing. So my brother was brought back to the city where he tried to finish highschool in the school where my mother was then guidance counselor.
After graduation, my brother stayed at home for a while, not being able to go to work or continue to college. But don't think that he was at home spending the days bumming out. It was the time when water was scarce in the city and my brother, with the help of his friends, and a whole lot of them too, would fill drum after drum of water so everybody would have something to use at day's end. He would also tidy the house all by himself, cook dinner, take care of the plants and feed the dogs. It was amazing what he was able to do around the house inspite of his condition. And he was always, always cheerful.
After several years, my aunt helped enlist him to the AFP under the Air Force. He worked in the V. Luna Hospital, now AFP Medical Center, first as a wardman and then as a clerk at the Outpatient Department. When he was still a wardman, he met his wife, a pretty girl who looks like Amy Austria. Apart from his work at the hospital, he also played for the AFP team in sports events held for people with physical disabilities. At first he played in the basketball team, until he proved himself invaluable at table tennis. He's won a lot of awards; medals and trophies abound in their living room at home.
Through the years, my brother has been sent as representative of the Philippines in such events. He's been a constant silver medalist, with a few golds to his name. He has been to China, Indonesia, Japan twice, Malaysia and Thailand. A couple of years ago, he was supposed to have gone to Augusta, Georgia for another competition but there were not enough supporters in terms of funds. Sadly, the Philippine government doesn't have any allocations in their budget for such things. Last year, he was supposed to have come here to Singapore for another such event, but they got their funding late and could not register anymore.
For more than a couple of years now, my brother has been representing the country in wheelchair lawn tennis and has gone to Japan and Korea for such events but has yet to win a medal. In December, he's scheduled to go to Vietnam for a table tennis competition. He's being housed now in some sports facility in the Philippines for training, 5 days a week, and could only go home during weekends. So I suppose this time, the support for funding is quite ample.
He has three sons. Ryan, the eldest, is in first year college taking up nursing. The second is Kris and is in 3rd year highschool. The youngest is Kevin, and is in the 5th grade. They're pretty good kids. For boys, they do not squabble all that much, and they take responsibility for each other. My brother has provided for them quite well, considering. At the very least, he's giving them the best education within the limits of his capabilities.
Needless to say, the whole family is proud of him, not only for everything he has accomplished, not only for being able to adroitly support his family, not only because he refused to accept that his fate has limited his horizon.
My brother is standing tall, probably taller than he ever could if he was doing it on his legs. He is our family's own trophy for the triumph of human resilience.
Today is his birthday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIKO!
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