Beyond Heartbomb

Ticktock. Tick tock. He can feel the time bomb inside him move. He knows that it might go off any time without him knowing but the sadness that lingers in the hearts of his loved ones. And he can only hope that he would be given more time to experience life.

Christian Edgar Andaya, a Grade 11 student is a lively boy that seems to mask the condition he’s going through. Sometimes, when he takes advantage of his body and gets hyper, he can not tell that what he is doing is beyond what his body is limited to.

Christian has a genetic heart disease, specifically in his left mitral valve. It was only checked when he went to the doctor due to having a terrible cough and later told his parents that his left mitral valve had swollen up. In fear of what they have known, he had an instant surgery.

The condition was only later noticed because Christian is asymptomatic- meaning his body did not show any symptoms of the illness. Up until he knew about his conditions, he never used it as an excuse to stop doing the things he is passionate about, although he knew his body has boundaries in certain activities.