A visit to a hospital that serves wounded soldiers from war-torn Marawi City has altered Solenn Heussaff’s perspective in life.
The actress-model shared on her blog her visit to the Armed Forces of the Philippines Health Service Command, which houses, she said, heroes “who literally break themselves for you and me.”
Photos showed her, along with her celebrity friends like Tim Yap, talking with soldiers who were left bedridden due to injuries, and handing out high-fives and handshakes.
“I can’t help but think that if only more of us had the character of these heroes, the world would be a much better place,” Heussaff mused. “If only we were less selfish, less hateful, and more grateful and more persevering.”
She also confessed that she was particularly touched by one solider, who lost his ability to see. The blind solider, she narrated, kept telling her that he was glad that she came to visit them.
“I couldn’t understand how he could still be so grateful, while I was feeling so much anger for him deep inside,” wrote Heussaff.
She said that she decided to write about her experience because the stories of these soldiers needed to be told.
“They have many stories to talk about— sad ones, but also happy ones. Some even have miracles to tell, while others simply want an opportunity to share a joke,” she said.
As of writing, the death toll from the long-drawn Marawi conflict stands at 630, 114 of which were state troops.
You can check out Heussaff’s full blog post here.
Story: ABS-CBN News
