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hello, @Romer.
i don't want this to be a story that makes people feel sorry for me. i want it to be a story that reminds people that there are parents out there quietly carrying the weight of the world for their children every single day.
we are a family of seven in the philippines. i'm the eldest daughter, with four younger siblings. we never had a comfortable life, but we were always surrounded by love.
my dad is a tricycle driver. every day, he spends hours under the scorching heat and heavy rain, hoping enough passengers will ride so he can bring home money for food. i have never been embarrassed to tell people what he does. in fact, i couldn't be prouder. he taught me that dignity isn't measured by your job, but by how hard you're willing to work for the people you love.
my mom works as a restaurant crew. she serves customers, washes dishes, cleans, and does whatever is needed without complaining.
their income has never been enough for a family this big. there were countless times they had to borrow money just so we could eat, pay bills, or continue going to school. sometimes they'd ask for extensions because there simply wasn't enough. yet somehow, they always found a way. i still don't know how they did it.
as their eldest daughter, i witnessed every sacrifice.
i saw the exhaustion they tried to hide.
i saw the silent worries behind their smiles.
and i made a promise to myself that one day, i would give them the life they've always deserved.
i was delayed in college, but not once did they make me feel like i had failed them. instead, they kept believing in me even when i doubted myself. after this semester, i'm finally graduating.
i currently have a part-time job. it isn't much, but whenever i have extra money, i buy necessities for our home like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, some groceries, and sometimes help pay for my younger sister's school expenses. it's a small contribution, but it makes me feel like i'm finally starting to give back.
another thing that's very close to my heart is our furbabies.
i love rescuing dogs and cats. at first, my parents weren't happy because we already struggled financially. but over time, they began helping me care for them too. even with so little, they still found room in their hearts to feed another hungry soul. that showed me the kind of people they truly are.
if i were fortunate enough to receive this $5,000, it wouldn't just change my life, it would change my family's.
the first thing i would do is help my parents pay off the debts they've carried for years. i want them to experience what it's like to sleep peacefully without worrying about the next payment.
i also want to start a small business so our family can finally have another source of income. my younger brother is currently pursuing his dream of becoming an architect and is doing his apprenticeship in another city. i want to help with his expenses because i know how much my parents sacrifice just to keep all of us in school.
i also want to help pay for my other siblings' education because my parents always believed that education was the one thing no one could ever take away from us. they invested everything they had into our future, even when it meant sacrificing their own comfort.
this money wouldn't be spent on luxury.
it would become tuition.
it would become freedom from debt.
it would become capital for a better future.
it would become hope.
whether i win or not, i will continue working toward the life my parents deserve. but winning this would allow me to give them years of relief that would otherwise take me a very long time to achieve.
my parents have spent their entire lives choosing us over themselves.
if i win, this time, i want to choose them.
thank you for taking the time to read my story, felix — if this ever reaches you. thank you for reminding people that kindness still exists in this world. i hope one day i'll be in a position to do the same for someone else. 🤍
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