02/04/2026
From Pain to Purpose: The Sacrifice of a Motherless Child
Text by: Aira Estope Canarejo
First of all, I want to thank God for always guiding me. I am also deeply grateful to my family, friends, classmates, and most especially to the people who continue to inspire me.
When I was young, I experienced eating only once a day. I was also bullied by my classmates because of our poverty and my life situation. I was still in kindergarten when my parents separated. It was very hard because despite the illness my father was fighting, he still took care of me, fed me, supported me, and even carried me just so I could go to school.
When I reached Grade 2, my world started to fall apart. My father, who sacrificed everything for me, passed away.
I went back to my mother, and as a sick mother without a partner, life became even more difficult. Yes, I heard many insults, criticisms, and hurtful words, but we continued on. Four years after my father died, my mother also passed away due to complications with her health. It was extremely painful to be a 10-year-old child with no parents.
I never truly experienced being a happy child, and it always felt like something was missing—love. At every graduation where I received a medal, there was no mother or father to place it around my neck. Every graduation, I cried because I kept thinking, *what if they were still alive?*
As the years passed, I also did not get to fully enjoy being a young woman because of my complicated situation. I fell in love at an early age and ended up living with a partner. After a few months, we had a child, and that was when I experienced physical pain and abuse. I realized how difficult life could be with the wrong partner, and I faced very painful and heartbreaking decisions.
Later on, I returned to my grandmother and stepfather. At first, I felt like I had no hope of achieving my dreams. But I am thankful that I discovered the ALS program for people like us who lost our way.
When I enrolled in junior high school, I felt how difficult it was to study while taking care of a child. But with the help of my family, I continued. Despite everything I went through, I slowly began to smile again and told myself, *this is it.*
When I graduated from junior high school, I was very thankful and immediately enrolled in senior high school. Yes, it is very hard for us single parents who no longer have parents to rely on. It was challenging because I did not know how to balance studying at night while taking care of my child. But with my family’s advice to keep going until I reached my dreams, I truly persevered.
Yes, it was difficult—but I fought. I endured assignments, performance tasks, exams, and research. I studied every night because I knew this was the opportunity I had been waiting for.
After years of sacrifice, I finally achieved it. Behind every medal I received is a deep story of pain, perseverance, and sacrifice.
To my family, thank you for your full support in everything I want to achieve. Thank you for always reminding me to continue despite the hardships. Thank you for helping me wholeheartedly so I could reach this milestone.
To my teachers, thank you for the knowledge you shared with us. Thank you for your patience in teaching us, for your understanding, love, support, and for being our second parents. Thank you for the days and nights you guided us—whether filled with laughter or tears in the classroom. Thank you for everything.
And finally, I have achieved this. I have reached what I once dreamed of, and I know this is not the end—this is only the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
Thank you all so much. Your help will remain in my heart for as long as I live.
AIRA CANAREJO
TVL 12 MABAKOD
SHS GRADUATE
Class 2025-2026
Batch Sidhaya
