JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
13
Our
Miracle Boy
By Daisy Chia
Amazed and uncomfortable .
This was Ser Yung ’ s reaction at being called ‘ The Miracle Boy ’. “ I ’ m not a top student ,” he protested .
From being in an unconscious state , having his neck in a brace and later capable of only blinking his eyes , Ser Yung has made considerable progress since his accident during a Judo competition last year . He had sustained a blood clot in his brain and the prognosis from the doctors wasn ’ t promising . They had prepared Ser Yung ’ s parents for the worst possible scenario . He could never speak , they said .
It was hard for anyone to fathom much less see him in that condition . For this same Ser Yung was the one who had been instrumental in helping the SJI Judo team break its 18-year medal drought when he competed in the ‘ C ’ Division National Judo Competition and brought home the Silver . He continued to contribute to the winning streak by helping SJI attain Bronze for the team events in the ‘ B ’ Division , never losing a single team match . His skipping of recess to train hard to hone his skills and his sterling performance at competitions earned him not only the position of Vice- Captain but an impressive eight-pack much to the envy of many of his peers .
It was harder for Ser Yung . He yearned to communicate but felt trapped within his own body . Movement was minimal even when he became aware of people and his surroundings . When he regained his strength gradually , he had to learn how to speak and walk again . The road ahead of him was long and grim .
When asked if he can recall that fateful day of his accident , he says he has no memories of the match he was involved in . But he is quick to add , he is sure of one thing : his opponent – someone he had competed against on previous occasions – is a true sportsman . He does however vividly recall an image of the song