The
Story of Edgardo
The story of Edgardo
Lawas, Jr., a 24 year old student of MTC Academy Davao, seems to be a typical
growing up story. Edgardo as a young boy
spent time to play with his cousins, enjoyed the sea, and enjoyed the
farm. His mother and father lived in
Calinan but he grew up pretty close to an uncle who lived at Gulf view in
Toril, Davao City.
Edgardo completed his high school education in Davao City
and then went on to pursue a certificate program called Customs Management in
Holy Cross of Davao College in Sta. Ana.
Life
was a breeze and life was easy until he was 20 years old. At 20, his failing eyesight was a puzzle to
both his parents. They didn’t know what
was causing this. They looked at both
sides of their clan and found no genetic history to explain his condition. Over the last four years since he started
suffering from low vision, Edgardo had difficulty coming to terms with his
condition. He withdrew and he started
asking why, why of all people did it have to happen to him but slowly Edgardo
realized that there was no point in continuing to resist what was
happening.
Slowly he emerged from his shell and started to reach out again to friends. He found some inspiration with one of his best friends who, at a young age of 19 years old, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He saw that his friend went through the different stages of grief, anger, and finally acceptance. However, one thing that he discovered about his friend was that his friend’s strength was coming from his very, very deep Christian beliefs. And so, Edgardo, inspired by his best friend, who by the way now has recovered completely from colon cancer, started to get engaged in their community’s Christian services. He found strength in being able to reach out to friends and serving his community. And so it was that Edgardo started to reengaged and found himself an opportunity through a friend, Norman Nicdao who referred him to Resources for the Blind Inc.
Apart from knowing peers, who are visually impaired, Edgardo also was encouraged by a neighbor who worked with the Resources for the Blind Inc. He started going for computer eye training in this particular institution.
Slowly he emerged from his shell and started to reach out again to friends. He found some inspiration with one of his best friends who, at a young age of 19 years old, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He saw that his friend went through the different stages of grief, anger, and finally acceptance. However, one thing that he discovered about his friend was that his friend’s strength was coming from his very, very deep Christian beliefs. And so, Edgardo, inspired by his best friend, who by the way now has recovered completely from colon cancer, started to get engaged in their community’s Christian services. He found strength in being able to reach out to friends and serving his community. And so it was that Edgardo started to reengaged and found himself an opportunity through a friend, Norman Nicdao who referred him to Resources for the Blind Inc.
Apart from knowing peers, who are visually impaired, Edgardo also was encouraged by a neighbor who worked with the Resources for the Blind Inc. He started going for computer eye training in this particular institution.
Four years down the road for having been diagnosed at age 20, Edgardo has started to pick up the pieces again. He has started to feel hope that the future holds exciting and better things for him. Over the last 6 to 7 months, he has been studying a skill called Medical Transcription. Edgardo has seen other peers like him who has achieved some degree of success from acquiring the skill where he can actually become a Business Process Outsourcing professional providing data documentation and digital conversion services to clients abroad. Edgardo, who still is currently pursuing his program at MTC Academy, is very confident that things can definitely improve and will all depend on his attitude and his outlook in life to make things better for himself and for his family.
Edgardo
is a real inspiration, not only to people with disability but also to the
sighted like us who sometimes can get discouraged by some of the challenges and
obstacles that come our way. If the PWDs
have that strong determination to overcome hurdles, definitely sighted
individuals can take inspiration from them.
2Corinthians 4:16-18 So we do not lose
heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being
renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for
us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to
the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the
things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are
eternal.
