Vision for Lyca

Is within ten years too long from now?   It is not after ten years, it is within ten years so it is not too long, do you agree?

Well,  within ten years, a retina implant can be available.  From a reliable source, it is now under extensive study.  I assume it wouldn’t take long when the actual implants will be available for testing.  That will be another couple of years before the final version will be released to the consumers.  But all of that within ten years. 

What does that mean?  That there is a big chance our dear special needs child Lyca and the rest of the children who are visually impaired can have vision soon!  But there was a condition that the eyes shouldn’t have undergone any surgery yet.  For those who have undergone surgery, I’m sure they will also find ways to have another version for such cases.

It will be traumatic for a blind person since birth to suddenly have vision, so it is not that easy to just implant and expect sudden joy from the change.  If that person has light perception now like Lyca, that should already be enhanced with the use of an eye gadget. 

I had so many dreams for Lyca, then I realized they are impossible dreams that can never be achieved so I just picked the possible ones one at a time, whatever she needs most.  But now I realize they are not impossible dreams, thanks to technology,  good doctors, and people  with golden heart,  all of them instruments of God because He will never stop proving how much He loves each man on earth.

Art Gallery

Included in my Dreams List in this blog in 2008 was to have an art gallery run by my own foundation which I named "A LEAF".  It stands for "A Life Every Artwork Foundation".  But when I learned that a million pesos is needed to put up a foundation, I forgot about that dream. It was indeed an impossible dream.

My projected serious participation in an art gallery this year starting with an art exhibit was unexpected. Even my improvement in painting was unexpected, nor the tour to the Underground River of Palawan last year that inspired me was unexpected. More unexpected situations like my special child's need for a tailor-fit wheelchair as she grows that will require me to have an income to afford those special needs.  What else would come unexpectedly to lead me to the realization of an impossible dream, only God knows.  

What is clear so far is I will not be alone and should not be alone to realize such dream.  It doesn't have to be my own "A LEAF", it could be something else with the same mission of helping a person live a life through an artwork.

The Underground River of Palawan

I think it was already five years ago when I posted in this blog about a dream travel to Palawan after finding a video about the Coron Island, one of the islands in Palawan.  I did not forget about that dream travel since then, until The Underground River of Palawan became one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I had the opportunity to realize my dream of going to Palawan last year but unexpectedly, I was even able to  go to the Underground River so I considered the experience a gift from God right on the day of my birthday.

The creations of God inside the Underground River were overwhelming, a bright light is just needed to see and appreciate them so bringing a camera with a flash is a must. Being able to paint some of my shots of the Underground River became another dream but I knew that could be almost impossible so I showed the photos to some artists, my brother included, but they just challenged me to paint them.

Until I was again challenged to join an art exhibit titled "Dance of Faith" this June, which I find closely related to my experience inside the Underground River because it strengthened my faith in God.  I chose three views to paint, one with the tourists on the boat, one I consider an artwork of God and the last view showing the end of the tour. For me, this end of tour also depicts a new beginning because my faith in God is stronger and that will help me meet more challenges in life and fulfill more dreams from then on. 

Dreams for 2009

Here are my dreams for 2009:

1. To win in Lotto! If I win the jackpot, I will go to Europe with a choir and my family, while the major part of my winnings will be properly planned for Lyca, my special needs child's program in the U.S. (if still necessary), and the organization of a foundation for artists and poor children with cerebral palsy next year.

2. To be a contestant in Deal or No Deal (LOL), and if I win a big amount, I'll continue my Interior Design course.

3. To earn more from my blogs, but this will only happen if you'll continuously visit them (please).

I can't believe only the above 3 are my dreams for this year. Maybe because I knew that my more important realistic dreams are about to come true. What are they?

1. To own a Tiens Dream Bio-energy Health Mattress.
2. For Lyca to be able to walk.
3. For Lyca to be able to talk.

The fulfilled dream of Charice Pempengco

Once upon a time, a little girl's dream was to sing with Celine Dion. She knew it was an impossible dream, but last September 15, that dream of Charice Pempengco was fulfilled when she was invited as a guest at Celine Dion's concert at the Madison Square Garden! So you can see for yourself, here are videos of that fulfilled dream of Charice with Celine, starting with Part 1. I suggest you view Part 2 after this Part 1 video. I was very touched with these videos, I wonder if others will feel the same.

Unconditional love and a standing box

For the sixth birthday of Lyca, our special child, the best gift we can give her aside from our unconditional love, is a standing box. My mother-in-law paid for its construction which was designed by one of Lyca’s physical therapists (the guy on the photo with her), while my husband and I are now taking care of its finishing touches. At the right side of the first photo is a part of the unfinished standing box.

A dream is about to come true, with the help of this standing box. Lyca will soon be able to stand on her own! After that, she should be able to walk too, of course with a guide since she is blind too, aside from the cerebral palsy that is hindering her to move normally.



Another dream is for her to be able to talk normally. I know that is not impossible because I was able to teach her to say “Mama” very clearly whenever she needs me.

I'm Dreaming Again!

One dream that I haven’t included in my Dreams List was to have a home in the United States of America. That was because in the past I’ve decided to stay in the Philippines. But changes happen like the unexpected arrival of a special child to my life. I no longer plan for myself because what is more important now is how to give this special child who is blind and has cerebral palsy, the best therapies that will enable her to walk, talk and live a normal life. The best that I can think of is the program of Elks, which can be found in several parts of the United States like Ohio.

At present, all my plans for my special child’s therapy at Elks will come true if I win the lotto. But maybe, it is not the only way. Who knows, unexpected events can happen again that will allow our special child’s therapy at Elks, and even allow our family to own a house in U.S.A. I’ve stumbled upon a website of Real Estate in The Cleveland Ohio Area and while looking at the photos of the houses, I can’t help but dream again. A lakefront house with the beautiful view of Lake Erie just like in the photo shown is definitely a dream house! I can enjoy my favorite view of the sunset while Lyca our special child will enjoy the waters of the beach resorts all around! To top it all, the Ohio Elks Association Children’s Developmental Center at Amherst is just nearby!

Oh well, I’ve intentionally forgotten to have a dream house in the Philippines, but now I’d like to have a dream house in U.S.A., and at Cleveland, Ohio at that! Thanks to the contest of “Cleveland Ohio Real Estate Blog” for inspiring me to dream again. I won’t win a house and lot (LOL), if the readers thought it’s the prize of the contest, but I can win $25 or Entrecard credits.

Whatever, there is still a prize for being inspired, and that is the opportunity to share your dreams, as well as your own inspiring true stories!

To Win In Lotto

My last dream on the list, to win in lotto, is necessary for me to be able to fulfill the other three dreams before this, first , to bring Lyca, my special child, to an Elks branch in U.S.A., second, to establish a foundation named "Life Every Artwork Foundation", which requires a million pesos capital according to our Philippine govenrment laws, and lastly, to build an art gallery for this foundation.

Every artwork in the “LEAF Art Gallery” will be dedicated to a cerebral palsy patient. The art gallery will benefit not only these patients but also the artists, some of them the street children who were developed by Fernando Sena, Philippine's Father of Art Workshop, through his Art Discovery and Learning Foundation, Inc. (ADFLI), where I am now an inactive member.

If I win in the Philippine lotto, I will surely push through with this dream, but if not, then only God knows if this dream will be fulfilled.

Dreams List

Have you watched the movie, “The Bucket List?” I guess those who did were tempted to make their own list after the movie. In my case, I have a similar list but it just remained in my thoughts, until today. I call it my “Dreams List”, and it never entered my mind that not only will I document that list, but will also share it to the public. Here is my list, from the oldest which started when I was just a teenager, up to the latest:

1. To travel to Greece. FULFILLED.
2. To study Interior Design. HALF-FULFILLED.
3. To have my own family and a home with a garden. FULFILLED.
4. To be an announcer or an emcee. FULFILLED.
5. To be a soprano. FULFILLED.
6. To deliver a speech in public. FULFILLED.
7. To have a painting exhibited in public. FULFILLED.
8. While in Singapore in 1998: To be back someday. FULLFILLED
9. To win in a photography contest. FULFILLED
10. To win in a singing contest. FULFILLED.
11. To win in a speech contest. FULFILLED.
12. To win a speech contest in the international category. REVISED.
13. To write a book about life. REVISED.
14. To have my own laptop. FULFILLED.
15. To have a smaller laptop. FULFILLED.
16. To bring Lyca, our special child, to U.S.A. for a program at Elks.
17. To establish a “Life Every Artwork Foundation” (LEAF).
18. To build an art gallery for LEAF.
19. To win in the Philippine lotto.

I hope to elaborate on each dream on the list so I created a new blog just for this list. I also wish to know about the dreams of others through the "comments" portion of this blog. Some big dreams on the list were changes from my original dreams, like “my dream house” that is no longer on the list because it was replaced by “a home with a garden” which is owned by my in-laws but an ideal home for my special child. I believe that life is all about changes, and that the unexpected changes that led to better lives were part of God’s plans.