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Walong taong gulang na ngayon ang panganay na anak ni AJ Raval na si Ariane Eliz o Ariana.

Sa Facebook, isang nakaaantig na birthday message ang isinulat ni AJ para kay Ariana kung saan ikinuwento niya ang challenges na hinarap kasama ang anak at kung paanong natutunan niyang lumaban, magmahal, at maging matatag sa mabuhay.

Kuwento ni AJ, 17 years old lamang siya nang maging ina kay Ariana kung saan wala siyang stable na income, walang sariling bahay, at sinusubukang maka-survive sa mundo kasama ang anak.

"There were days I looked at us and thought, “How are we going to make it?”

I was 17, scared, broke, and trying to figure out how to be a mom when I still felt like a kid myself. Sometimes it honestly felt like a child raising a child. We argued, we cried, we struggled, and there were moments when life felt too heavy for both of us," sulat ni AJ.

Dagdag niya, nanganak siya sa isang lying-in clinic at nanirahan sila ng anak sa isang maliit na 5000 peso apartment dahil walang sapat na pera.

"And there were nights I wished I could run to my parents, crawl back into that safety I used to have. But I didn't want to be a burden. I didn't want to feel like I was failing or asking for too much. So I held it all in."

Sa kabila ng hirap at mga pagsubok, proud si AJ na nakayanan nilang lahat ito.

"But we did it. We kept going even when it felt impossible. You were small, but you saved me in big ways. Your tiny hands and loud little voice reminded me that I had something worth fighting for. You're a blessing I never knew I needed, but the greatest one I ever received.

"Every challenge we faced made us stronger. Every night we went to sleep unsure of tomorrow, we still woke up and tried again. We didn't have much, but we had each other and that was enough to carry us this far."

Ayon kay AJ, matalino, malakas, masiyahin, wild, at maganda ang ngayo'y walong taong gulang na anak na si Ariana.

"Happy birthday to the girl who turned my struggle into strength. We made it through the hardest parts, and I promise the rest of your story will be filled with warmth, love, and a home built from everything we've survived," mensahe ni AJ sa anak.

Bukod kay Ariana, ay mayroon pang apat na anak si AJ: Si Aaron, na isa ng anghel at pumanaw na, at ang mga anak kay Aljur Abrenica na sina Alkina, Aljur Jr., at Abraham.