I first met Abby Asistio in a Novuhair event in Quezon City. At that time I ask myself, what was her problem, not having hair? I didn’t think it was a big deal. I figured, she’s lucky she isn’t disabled.
But I also learned from our parish priest that it is not right to compare your troubles with that of other people. Jollibee food may not be a dream for many of us who work in the city, but when I went to Romblon, I met people whose kids can only only dream of Chickenjoy because there isn’t any in their town. And there is a huge part of our population who have yet to see the inside of a mall.
Which brings me back to Abby Asistio. She has a condition known as Alopecia, which is basically a disorder within her immune system which causes progressive hair loss. She has had it since she was a little girl and has lived with a lot of cruel comments, potshots and even ridicule from other people, even friends and family. As many would say, ‘kalbo lang daw ang nagpapatawa.’ Believe me, there isn’t anything funny about her condition.
Abby Asistio still pursued a singing career and worked hard to make some of her dreams come true. And even became a celebrity endorser for a hair growth product which seems to work well for her. Now with hair her confidence has grown and she has now accomplished a lot more than what she set out to do.
It may be wrong for us to compare our troubles with others but it’s not a bad idea to learn from how other people overcame their troubles to live a life they’ve always wanted. Despite our differences in the nature of our struggles, there are ways to overcome and it always begins with acceptance. Once you have accepted your situation, you will be better equipped to formulate a more effective strategy to overcome your disabilities.
One of our friends in the community stands out as my personal beacon of inspiration when it comes to overcoming obstacles and that’s Kcat Yarza. She has been in and out of the hospital and is a sufferer of Neurofibromatosis. However the difficulty she is always always smiling and keeps counting her victories rather than her failures. Kcat and Abby are two of the bravest persons I’ve ever known and it would not be a bad idea to learn from them.