When a couple gets married, they make a vow in front of God to be faithful to each other in sickness and in health.
This promise got tested early on in Kevin Alas and Selina Dagdag-Alas' marriage.
Kevin and Selina first got wed in 2020 in a civil ceremony and had their Christian wedding a year later.
But it was not a bed of roses after that.
(Kevin Alas: "Si Selina 'yong pang-wife material. At the start palang, alam ko na.")
Two months after their church ceremony, the couple found out that Selina was five weeks pregnant. She, however, suffered a miscarriage entering into her second month of pregnancy.
A few months later, in 2022, Selina's biggest fear happened — she was diagnosed with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a rare form of cancer in which "abnormal trophoblast cells grow inside the uterus after conception" according to the National Cancer Institute website.
"Cancer was my biggest fear back then. To have it in my 20s, it was a huge shock to me," Selina shared with One Sports Profiles.
"I remember stepping out of the doctor's clinic falling into Kevin’s arms and crying, 'Help me, God.'"
[RELATED STORY: Ace of Hearts, Part 1: Kevin Alas shares how he pursued Selina Dagdag-Alas the godly way]
It was a time to make sacrifices to help Selina in her journey to healing, and Kevin willingly did it: he begged off from playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games, which was held in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nationals were then aiming for a 14th straight gold medal in the biennial meet in Hanoi, Vietnam.
(Kevin Alas is part of the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA.)
Kevin, who has previously suited up for Gilas, knows how big of an opportunity he would let slip. It has always been a dream for an athlete to play for his country in the biggest stages whenever his name is called.
But Kevin willingly let it go to be with Selina.
In sickness and in health.
"That time, nasa pool ako papuntang SEA Games. I had to beg off last minute. Siyempre, Selina has to start her treatment noong time na 'yun. For me, that time, it was a big decision for me. Siyempre, ang daming athletes who dream of playing in the national team. Just to be in the pool, to be playing, to be representing the country," said Kevin, who is currently playing for the NLEX Road Warriors
in the PBA.
"If you ask me now, it was one of the best decisions na ginawa ko sa buhay ko."
Kevin then did all that he could to help alleviate Selina's predicament — from offering his prayers, to ensuring she gets the proper nutrition, to making her feel the love of people around her, to booking her hospital appointments and opening the results of her procedures.
Kevin only wanted Selina to busy herself with one thing — getting healed.
"He would constantly pray for me. He would bring me home good food. He would go to church, and he would come back with letters from the kids in church. All those things that meant a lot to me. Kahit iyong mismong pagpila for the results or opening our results envelope, booking even my appointments. That was all him. All I had to do was focus on resting and on getting better. And, really, Kevin did the brunt of the work," said Selina.
For Kevin, it was about being with Selina every step of the way in what he considers one of, if not their biggest trial, yet.
"Siyempre, iyong mga moments na iyon talagang if not the hardest, one of the hardest na pinagdaanan namin as a couple. Ako, talagang nandoon ako to be with Selina to go through the process," said Kevin.
Selina recognized the hand of God through it all. That, in her many cries for help, in the times that she was giving in to worry and was losing hope, the Lord had already sent the answer to her prayers in the form of her husband, Kevin.
"I'm so grateful that the Lord answered [my] cry for help in so many countless ways. He answered that cry for help several times through Kevin," said Selina.
"Looking back, I know my only contributions during that trial were the times I was afraid, I was anxious, I was worried. I was hopeless. I was sad. The times I may have appeared to be strong or courageous or joyful through my trials, they were entirely enabled by God alone. That enabling and encouragement came a lot in the form of Kevin," she went on.
[RELATED STORY: Our Snaps: Kevin and Selina Alas share love with One Sports Profiles]
As the young couple faced this trial together with only faith in God and their love for each other in their hearts, months later, the Lord granted Selina the gift of healing.
"It's hard going through it, but at the end of the day, after a few months, the Lord healed her. Reminder lang na yes, maybe napakahirap dumaan sa process na 'yon, pero ano ba 'yong mga lessons na natutunan namin from going through that process? The Lord is good; the Lord is faithful," said Kevin.
"I guess the Lord matured our relationship from that," he added.
Their steadfast faith was also rewarded with another chance for Kevin to play for the national team, this time in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in October 2023.
Kevin and the rest of Gilas went home with the gold medal, ending a 61-year wait in the regional tourney.
But, just a month later, another trial came. This time, it befell Kevin as he suffered his third ACL injury.
"Siyempre, devastating. Galing sa Asian Games, nag-gold medal. I was really playing well. We were in a happy place. And then, my third ACL happened. Out of my simpleness, I was just rambling, complaining," said Kevin.
It was Selina's turn to be Kevin's guiding hand as she did what he could not do. Without him asking, Selina attended to his needs. She became his designated driver. She drove him to his rehabilitation. She helped strengthen his faith by praying for him and giving him Bible verses to encourage him.
"One thing na I really appreciate kay Selina, she knows me very well na I don't need to say kung anong kailangan ko. Like for example, 'yong pagda-drive. I did not ask her to do that. But she was more than willing to be my driver. Alam na niya, eh," said Kevin.
"Siyempre, medyo malungkot ako noong time na 'yon. She knows how to cheer me up. She knows how to encourage me. She prays for me. She’d give me Bible verses that she knows will encourage me. Mga ganoong bagay na hindi ko na kailangang sabihin pero automatic na niyang ginagawa."
Kevin and Selina Alas are reminded that the Lord is faithful
Though one's faith may be shaken, God will show time and time again that He is faithful. And this is the reminder that struck Kevin, especially when the blessing was borne out of these trials: they were gifted by the Lord with a baby, their daughter Catalina Noelle, last September.
"I should have just remembered na the Lord is faithful," said Kevin.
"A few weeks to a month after, Selina got pregnant. We were praying about it. I guess iyon ang blessing, na you just have to trust the Lord."
(Selina says that as early as now, her and Kevin's daughter, Catalina Noelle or Baby Cali as they fondly call her, is a daddy's girl.)
Kevin recalled how God got them through their previous trials, so there is no reason for them to doubt His power more so now.
"The Lord is already good and faithful noong dumaan kami sa mahirap na pagsubok. The Lord perservered us, nalamapasan namin iyon. Tapos here we are complaining again," said Kevin.
"We know naman na sometimes, kami ang problema 'pag dumadaan sa trial. The Lord has blessed us abundantly. So bakit pa kami nagrereklamo? Bakit pa kami nagku-complain? Especially minsan, I tend to complain. But kapag natapos na 'yung trial, the Lord persevered us. Maaalala namin talagang the Lord is good and faithful."
Quoting Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose," Kevin went on to say that as humans, there is a natural tendency for one to doubt or to complain. But in the end, the Lord's Word proved true: there is a blessing that comes out of every burden in one's life.
"Sometimes, siyempre, 'pag dumadaan ka sa trial, [you will say], 'Paano magiging for my own good iyong trial na 'to?' Pero as I’ve said, moving forward, every trial really has a reason. Siguro the Lord is maturing us, the Lord is humbling us, the Lord is teaching us to be more godly," said Kevin.
"It’s not easy to go through a trial, but, as Selina said, talagang napakaraming blessing through it," he added.
(Kevin: "I know it's all the Lord na talagang working sa mga buhay namin ni Selina.")
Kevin believes that the Lord allowed his recurring ACL injuries to happen because he has a perfect partner in Selina who helped him rise above those — a wife who will always understand and make the pain more bearable because she is right by his side.
"Selina is the perfect wife and helper for me. Iyong three ACL injuries ko, nangyari when we were together. Siguro, the Lord wouldn't allow it to happen kung wala si Selina sa buhay ko," said Kevin.
"Alam ni Lord na Selina would be the perfect one to complement, to help me, to encourage me, to pray for me. Wala na akong kailangan hingin."
[RELATED STORY: Kevin Alas makes triumphant return from third ACL injury in NLEX's win over Terrafirma]
It was the same for Selina, who knows in her heart that God used Kevin as an instrument to help lift the heavy burden of her suffering.
"I really think God used Kevin to pull me through my trials and to carry me through my trials. I don't think I would have been able to survive with my faith intact or with my character intact if not for the Lord using Kevin," said Selina.
"I think, without him, I would have grown bitter, and I would have handled things very differently. I'm really grateful."
In the end, even if Selina heartbreakingly got sick with cancer, Kevin believed that their marriage came out stronger because of it.
"I know it's hard to go through it, especially for Selina. Iyong 'yong, I guess, what made our marriage stronger din," he said.
(Kevin: "Right now, every time we face some trials, we just remind ourselves of the Lord’s faithfulness noong time na 'yon.")
He also sees the blessing in his injuries and even manages to be thankful that those happened.
"Iyong injuries, part ng buhay ng athlete, eh. I'm really grateful na nangyari ang ACL ko. [If not for it,] I wouldn't be here talking to you [about my] blessings sa buhay. I really believe na mas nag-deepen ang faith ko in the Lord [dahil] nangyari sa'kin iyong tatlong ACL na 'yon," said Kevin.
Selina knows that life will not get any easier from here. Trials will still happen. She and Kevin will go through many more storms.
But they take comfort in how they were able to live God's promises through the trials that they went through: what they read in the Bible was true, because God, in His mercy, let them experience it. And this is a truth they would cling to as they go on in their life's journey.
"To be honest, mahirap pa rin. But what makes it so bearable is knowing that God is faithful. That we know of all these promises of God in His words. We hear of it countless times; we read it countless times. But this time around, we have tried and tested them to be true. And that makes trials more bearable," said Selina.
(To be continued)
With reports from Jan Ballesteros; Photos by RM Chua, assisted by LJ Abadinas and Jan Ballesteros; Produced by Kristina Villanueva