by manoypoe » Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:00 pm
SAN JUAN CITY
Miss Philippines Earth 2021 candidate Ellyssa May Cedilla @ellyssa_may of San Juan City sharing her story about having Scoliosis.
For #ScoliosisWarriors like me, June is also known as the #ScoliosisAwarenessMonth. As much as I am an environmental advocate, I have also been a #Scoliosis advocate for more than 10 years now.
Coping with this condition has been difficult and will always be a constant battle in both my mind and body. When I was younger, I have always wondered how my life would be if I had a ‘straight spine’, and now that I’m a 24 year-old with a ‘curved spine’, I firmly believe that we can become whoever we want to be as long as we believe in ourselves. It will always be up to us, no matter the condition, where we want to take ourselves or how high we’d like to dream.
In this life, “the only people who fail are those who do not try”. That’s why I have chosen to TRY — to chase my dreams despite having scoliosis & joined a National Beauty Pageant.
It is never easy to show others our vulnerabilities, especially in an environment where physical attributes also matter. And yes, even finding the right size of gowns/designer outfits has been challenging for me in this competition, but I am proud to give it my all. With or without winning a crown, I will remain true to my causes and advocacies — as I know for a fact that by just mustering up some courage to face my fears, I am already a VICTOR.