At 20, Chazely Lopez reached a milestone many take for granted, but for her, every step to the graduation stage was hard-earned, fought through pain, and carried by sheer determination.
For the Senior High School graduate from Purok Torre, Barangay Salong, Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental, finishing school was not about beating time, it was about holding on.
“Life is like a fun run. Everyone starts at the same line with excitement, hope, and different goals in mind. Some run fast, some take steady steps, and some need to pause along the way, just like me,” Lopez told Brigada News FM Kabankalan on Wednesday, April 1.
She is living with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease where the body attacks its own tissues, causing fatigue, pain, and weakness that can come and go without warning.
In 2023, while in Grade 11, she was already feeling the weight of her condition. Still, she chose to continue. That same year, she was recognized as an honor student, receiving her medal in a wheelchair.#
“I tried to run the same pace as others, even when my body was silently struggling,” she said.
But the following year tested her the most.
In 2024, her condition worsened, leaving her bedridden for nearly two years. She became weak—almost skin and bone— and had to stop schooling.
“There came a moment when I started to lose my balance physically and emotionally,” Lopez said said. “It was difficult to accept that I had to slow down while others continued moving ahead.”
For a time, everything stood still.
But she said that pause taught her something she did not understand before.
“Stopping does not mean giving up,” she said. “It means listening to my body.”
In 2025, after slowly regaining her strength through proper medication, she returned to school, this time with a different mindset. No longer trying to keep up, she began moving at her own pace.
“I’ve learned how to say ‘no’ when something is draining me, and how to choose rest without guilt,” she said. “Health should always come first.”
Step by step, she moved forward again.
In March 2026, Lopez graduated from Senior High School at Kabankalan Catholic College (KCC), completing a journey that took four years.
“It took me four years in total, but despite everything, I made it,” she said. “Slower, but braver.”
She continues to live with lupus, but now carries a clearer understanding of her limits, and her strength.
“Strength is not only about endurance, but also about knowing when to pause,” Lopez said.
To others going through their own struggles, she offers a simple reminder. “Don’t give up. Your strength is not measured by how fast you move, but by your courage to keep going.”
As she looks ahead, Lopez holds on to a heartfelt wish, not just for herself, but for the people who stood by her.
“My only wish is that [may] God would bless me with a little more time to truly enjoy life with the people closest to my heart,” she said. “And for my mom, I pray for more patience and strength, that she continues to stand by me and support me through everything until I finally reach the dreams I’ve been fighting so hard for.”
And for Lopez, finishing—no matter how long it took—was already a victory.
“You will reach your own finish line in your own time,” she said. “Your journey may be slower, but it is still worth it.”
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.