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Siargao guitarist who lost part of her finger due to accident never stop for music

 Only a musician knows how important their fingers for them! 


A performer in the island of Siargao who lost her fingertips due to accident has denied the odds by heading back to perform once again. 

Photo credit: Antonette Castel / Facebook

Antonette Castel, a performer in the island of Siargao was devastated when she lost part of her finger due to a surfing accident happened during lockdown. According to her, island life started to die down when lockdown was implemented, no gigs, no guests and all she have to do is to find means to kill the daily boredom.    


"I was super excited to learn new songs and did some online live gigs to entertain people who were locked inside their homes. I played music using my new baby Taylor guitar, which arrived on March 21st. It was fun, people sent song requests, reacted to my videos, and string positive vibes rang through the online gig. I didn’t know then that this would be the last time I’d be playing with a complete set of fingers,"  she said.


However, everything has changed the way she look at life after losing her finger due to surfing accident.

Photo credit: Antonette Castel / Facebook

"With the adrenaline rising, I went to where bigger waves were breaking to take my last wave and call it a day. Unfortunately, as I was approaching the bigger set of waves, I wasn’t able to make it, a big one crashed on me. Before I knew it, I was underwater, getting crashed by a wave, I rolled and tossed under. I knew something happened. I wasn’t in pain, not at all, but something bothered me. Something felt wrong. I then looked at my left hand and that’s when I saw it. I have lost my left ring fingertip!


Despite of what happened, Castel tried to look for the missing tip underwater - hoping that the doctor could find ways to put it back on. But, unfortunately he wasn't able to see it.


Photo credit: Antonette Castel / Facebook

"The most painful part was not the physical pain, it was the thought that as a guitar player, the ring finger is crucial to playing all the chords. With a new guitar, an investment that just recently arrived, the only question in my mind was how am I supposed to play music now. I was in denial. I was heartbroken. I was thinking this might as well be the end. I was having an emotional breakdown," Castel continued.


She was rushed to the island's hospital for treatment and the doctor asked her if he can cut a little bit of her bone to close the wound. At first she replied 'No', still thinking of how she could reach the string of the guitar - but she left no choice. The doctor cut the bone to start closing the wound.


Castel experienced anxiety after the accident, crying out overtime and left so many questions in mind. But she find ways to cope herself, thanks to Bethany Hamilton's Netflix movie "Unstoppable," a documentary story of a teen surfer who lost her arm before joining professional surfing.  


"I was at this point when I decided it’s time to break my silence. Exactly a month after the accident, I started to open up about it to the people I am close to. I told a few people I think would understand," she said.


Thankful Castel was able to go back for her sunset acoustic session for the first time after the accident.


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