Everyday heroes

The Oxford dictionary defines a hero as “someone admired for bravery, great achievements or good qualities.”

In high school, I remember taking part in a debate on who was more deserving to be our national hero, Jose Rizal or Andres Bonifacio. In my mind, there was no contest as they were both worthy of the accolade. Their selfless actions toward gaining our independence were concrete manifestations of their love of country and hope for its future.

Have you ever wondered if there is an existing set of criteria, let alone, an evidence-based list to make one qualify? In 2023, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through a board resolution, recognized and included their modifications on codified criteria defining a hero. These were set by the committees that preceded them, and on their Meta page, cited the Philippine Historical Committee and the National Heroes Commission in 1965, and the Technical Committee of the National Heroes Committee in 1993 and 1995.

Perusing the criteria, if asked to summarize, those who are to be in the running would be individuals who have moral character, and whose thoughts and actions are dictated and dedicated toward working for the common good of the country and its people.

Reflecting on this, two thoughts came to mind: One, in our current scenario, coming up with a shortlist may be a struggle; two, as these were framed to recognize individuals and their work on a national scale, the qualifications may be limiting. Choosing to review the dictionary’s definition eventually brought on a third thought: to bestow and label a person as deserving of such an honor would always be a matter of perspective. Overseas Filipino workers and health professionals have been called modern-day heroes. In the past week, I have lost two. Both are dearly beloved, a mentor and a patient. Upon receiving information on the gravity of their condition they unknowingly taught us a lesson on the value of accepting things that cannot be changed and giving a deeper meaning to the words bravery, courage, and selflessness.

“I am sorry po I wasn’t able to eat the mangoes or the popcorn you brought.” These were the very words that she greeted me with when I made rounds. This was to be the last leg of her chemotherapy session and the necessitated transfer to the pediatric intensive care unit was to allow closer supervision. She was visibly jaundiced, nursing a high fever, and her breathing was a little too fast. I gently took her hand, told her not to worry and to concentrate on getting better soon so we could eat all the mangoes and taste all the flavored popcorn that was available.

She rewarded me with a kind and cautious look. I had to quickly turn away before she could see how her words and the dip in her hoped-for recovery affected me. Her condition was very critical and the chances of success had substantially decreased. Shedding a tear would be of no help, seeing how she was trying her best to follow and adhere to the request that had just been made. What she needed was encouragement and support. She valiantly managed to hold on but God called. How she faced the unknown, and silently dealt with the unbearable pain that accompanied her condition, further aggravated by numerous intravenous insertions and blood extractions spoke clearly of how mindful she was of how her reactions could affect the people around her and the love and compassion she had for her mother. Letting go would spare her from seeing her suffer.

Hours after she passed, I messaged her mom to convey my sympathies. Her reply, “Thank you so much, Doc, for being there until the end.” She mentioned that her daughter never got to eat the mangoes and the popcorn but now, she would be able to eat all that she wanted. This dynamic duo, whom we have been privileged to meet in the course of providing medical care, gives a whole new definition to the word hero. They have given inspiration to take a more positive perspective on what life brings, encouraged self-awareness, and gave affirmation that we had done our best as a team.

One does not need to search far if you care enough to look. They may be right next to you. Perfect models would be the people who are part of your daily routine, and who ensure that your home and office are safe and efficiently run. Think about your househelp, the security guards, and the janitors who despite their challenges that are most often not openly shared all choose to provide essential services so that there would be no cause to worry. They are our everyday heroes.

Let us all be grateful.

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