A Warrior, Not A Hero

Sa bawat tulo ng oras, may karayom na sumusugat.
Sa bawat hinga, may tanong kung kailan matatapos ang pagliyag.
Ako si Maui — hindi bayani, pero mandirigma.
Dialysis patient, pero hindi alipin ng aking karamdaman.

Eight years ago, Claire Martina Andrada received a diagnosis that changed her life forever.
The tricky thing about the illness is that the symptoms only appear when it’s already too late, or when the damage is advanced, and the only path forward is dialysis.

Kidney disease…A condition where the kidneys can no longer filter the blood, causing waste and fluid to build up in the body. To “assist” the body, blood must be pumped out, filtered by an artificial kidney machine, then returned — a cycle repeated and again, with the piercing sting of needles marking every session.

The stanza above is the beginning of Claire’s spoken word piece about her journey. And her question is understandable: “When will this end?” One cannot help but wonder, how can someone so young speak with such bravery?

In her poetry piece, she said, “I’m not a hero, but a warrior.”
And suddenly, it made sense. Heroes are wounded to save others. Warriors are wounded to save themselves.

The World Where She Fights

Lunes, Miyerkules, Biyernes — parang kalendaryong malupit.
Tatlong beses kada linggo, laging nakahiga, laging may limit.
Ang dugo ko’y umiikot sa makinaryang tila robot,
Na parang sinasabi: “Ito lang ang kaya mong ikot.”

At 18, Claire is now in Grade Ten, studying through the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
She attends classes on days her body has recovered from the grueling treatment.
Her life runs on a tight, predictable rhythm …house, hospital, school. Repeat.

At the hospital, she is treated. At home, she recovers. But at school, she thrives.

Although she asks for understanding, she never wants special treatment.
She insists on being graded fairly. Home Economics is one of her favorites as she loves cooking. She excels in English and Filipino, and in her quiet moments, she writes stories and poems. Physical Education remains a challenge, but during school activities, she still shows up—present, steady, choosing to be part of the moment, even if it means simply standing at the sidelines.

As her mother recalled with pride:

“Matalinong bata. Nasa top ten siya noon. Mas gusto pa niya multiplication at division kaysa addition. Magaling rin siya sa English at Filipino, nakahiligan ngang magsulat.”

When the Plot Thickened

Una, tinanggap ko lang — may takot, may lungkot.
Sino ba namang hindi?
Desi-otso pa lang ako, pero katawan ko’y tila luma na’t pagod.
Sakit sa laman, hirap sa isip,
Tanong sa langit: “Diyos ko, kailan ba ako gagaling?”

It all began with subtle symptoms, such as a weakened immune system, sleepless nights, and a loss of appetite for tasteless food. But soon, the small signs revealed alarming laboratory results: high creatinine, low GFR, and high BUN—numbers that make little sense to us, more so for a ten-year-old child.

Until March 15, 2016, when the truth finally surfaced. After nine days in the ICU, doctors revealed that 80% of Claire’s body was already poisoned. What was supposed to be a simple hospital visit turned into nearly a hundred days of confinement, an unexpected descent into a battle she never saw coming.

Her mother confessed, “Walang araw na hindi ko naisip kung makakalabas pa ng hospital si Claire.”

Eventually, they did make it out. But the journey left them with a frail body for Claire, and a staggering ₱5.4 million debt for her parents.

Where Grace Found Them

Pero sa katahimikan ng gabi,
Sa pagitan ng tulo ng swero at tibok ng puso,
May tinig akong narinig — hindi mula sa ospital, kundi sa itaas.
“Anak, kasama mo Ako. Hindi ka nag-iisa.”

Grace came through Claire’s unwavering faith, just so that she could face another day not as a victim, but as a warrior. Grace came through her mother—persevering, fighting, caregiving every single day.  Grace came through social workers who keep on processing government aid, doing the unseen work to lighten the burden.

Even today, grace arrives quietly through a small community of parents and patients who remind one another that they only need to hold on for one more treatment, one more day.

And grace came through organizations like Make-A-Wish, which gave Claire the most unforgettable birthday of her life.

The Wish

For a family whose days revolve around hospitals and medical bills, travel is a luxury they cannot consider. So, when Make-A-Wish reached out and offered a trip covered by the organization, Claire and her mom accepted wholeheartedly and excitedly.

Claire was the 5000th wisher, a milestone in the foundation’s long history of granting hope.

They spent her birthday week in Baguio, a city she had long dreamed of visiting.
They visited Camp John Hay, Strawberry Farm, MochCafé, Oh My Gulay, and more — riding everywhere like VIPs. But the highlight? Meeting Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who invited Claire to return and handed her a calling card.

“Can I go with my friends next time?” Claire asked. And by friends, she meant her fellow dialysis patients.

Doon ko natutunang hindi lahat ng laban ay kailangang lakarin.
Minsan, kailangan mo lang lumuhod — at manalangin.
At sa bawat panalangin, lumalakas ang aking loob,
Habang humihina ang katawan, tumitibay ang pananampalataya kong lubos.

A Hero After All

When asked what keeps them going, her mother paused and whispered, “Hindi ko rin alam…”

Then, with trembling honesty, she continued: “I’m a solo parent. Nang malaman ng husband ko ang sitwasyon ni Claire, umuwi siya ng probinsya. Hindi na bumalik. Sumuko. Sabi ko kay Lord, ‘challenge accepted.’ I’m giving it all to You. Just send us angels, Lord. Provide for our needs. Minsan, nagugulat na lang ako, may kusang nagbibigay ng kailangan namin.”

Ang Diyos ang naging hangin sa aking paghinga.
Lakbay ko man ay may IV line, dala ko’y pag-asang dakila.
Hindi naging madali — may araw na gusto ko nang sumuko,
Pero tuwing ako’y lalambot, pinatitibay ako ng dasal ko.

What fulfills Claire most? Inspiring others. Being a reminder to other young patients that they, too, can live through another day of medicine, another week of dialysis, another month of treatment… and still dream beyond all of it.

On good days, she and her dialysis friends meet at the mall. They eat together, play bowling, and watch movies, laughing and teasing one another as they joke about making the most of their PWD cards.

Ngayon, heto ako — buhay pa rin, patuloy na lumalaban.
Bitbit ang pananalig na parang espada sa digmaan.
Hindi ko alam ang bukas, pero kilala ko ang Maylikha.
At kung Siya ang kasama ko — anuman ang mangyari — panatag na.

She says she’s “just a warrior, not a hero.” But perhaps that’s exactly why she is one…because true heroes rarely claim to be.

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