Born without legs, teenager finds a way to plow the field to help his family

A teenager who was born without legs but with plenty of determination to help his family found a way to plow the field despite his disability.

According to an episode of "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho," Daryl, 19, is the only PWD among 11 siblings hailing from Calatrava, Negros Occidental.

His own father, Danilo, admitted writing him off after seeing his condition.

"Nung nakita ko, sobrang nalungkot ako, ma'am. Bakit ba nagkaganyan? Nasabi ko nga na, 'Itong batang 'to, palagi lang 'tong nakahiga. Wala 'tong magiging silbi,'" he said.

("When I saw him, I was very sad. Why did this happen? I said, 'This child would always be lying in bed. He's not going to be of any use.")

Danilo said the midwife who attended Daryl's birth offered to buy the child and planned to enter him into a circus. Despite his own thoughts about his baby's future, he refused to sell his own flesh and blood.

"Balik siya nang balik kasi gusto niya talagang bilhin hanggang sa umabot ng isang libo. Sabi ko, 'Hindi pwedeng maging iyo 'yan. Anak ko 'yan. Hindi ko ito ibebenta, hindi 'to aso,'" he said.

("She kept returning because she really wanted to buy my child and her offer got up to P1,000. I told her, 'You can't have him. He's my child. I'm not going to sell him, he's not a dog.'")

When Daryl turned 15 years old, Danilo said his son vowed to show to people that he is capable of working just like everyone else.

It was easier said than done. Daryl's family plants sweet potatoes, and farm work is already a difficult task even for people born with complete limbs.

"Minsan, mahirap kapag ganito. May kapansanan ka. Hindi mo magawa 'yung gusto mong gawin, may hadlang sa 'yong pagkatao," he said.

("Sometimes, it's difficult living like this. You have a disability. You can't do what you want to do, there's a hindrance to you as a human being.")

Still, Daryl persevered, and eventually, he found a way. He uses his left hand—which has only three fingers and the arm also bent—as a leg to stand on, while his right hand plows the field.

"Sobrang hirap sa pag-aararo dahil may kapansanan ako, pero, hindi naman talaga hadlang kapag gusto mong tumulong," he said.

("It's so difficult to plow because I have a disability, but it won't stop me because I really want to help.")

He also has a carabao to help him out, and he has learned to climb on its back and ride it so he can cover more distance. Sometimes he falls off, but he always, always gets back up.

It breaks Danilo's heart to see Daryl like this.

"Pinagbabawalan ko siya bilang magulang pero kumikilos pa rin siya. Naiiyak ako kasi nakakaawa. Pinagsasabihan ko siya, 'Huwag,' pero gusto niya talagang tumulong sa 'kin," he said.

("As a parent, I didn't want to allow him to plow but he still does it. I tear up, feeling pity for him. I tell him to stop, but he really wants to help me.")

Daryl, for his part, has maintained a positive outlook in life. A large part of it is thanks to his late mother, Emilia, who showered him with love.

"Minsan kami lang dalawa doon sa bukid, minsan nag jo-joke. Nakukuha pa rin naming tumawa. Kahit sobrang pagod na," he said.

("Sometimes, when we were the only ones in the field, we’d tell each other jokes. We could still laugh even when we were so tired.")

When Emilia died last year due to a heart condition, however, Daryl and his family lost their light.

"Masakit sa pakiramdam ang mawalan ka ng ina."

("It hurts so much to lose a mother.")

Danilo also had a hard time accepting his wife's death.

"Sobrang pait ng buhay. Masasabi mo na lang, mas mabuti pang walang Pasko para hindi mo maalala sa taong 'to," he said.

("Life is bitter. You end up saying, 'It's better if Christmas did not exist so you won't have to remember the bad things that happened.'")

To help Daryl and his family, KMJS took him to a specialist for a checkup and gave them some financial assistance. Someone also pledged to donate a leg prosthesis for Daryl.

KMJS also organized an advanced Noche Buena for the family, and Daryl made sure that his late mother was part of the celebration by placing a portrait of her on the table.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News