From sadness to hope, this is my dream...

Before I start my post, I have to apologize to all of my friends for not posting as often as I normally would.  It has been over a week since I have been living in the ICU with my Grandfather.  Read post here.  The stress is taking it's toll on me.  Emotionally I am finally a wreck, and mentally I seem to just be blank. 

I wanted to share with you the only great thing that has happened to me in a very long time.
I entered a Blogger contest with Sony Style, and I was chosen as one of the Finalists, 1 of the 10 finalists ;)

Check out the Finalist page at Sony Style & the gorgeous Sony Ericsson X10
I will be back to tell you more about the phone ;)
I needed that piece of news so bad, it came during a time where my world seems to be crashing around me.  My hopes of my Grandfather getting better and getting out of here, seem to be loosing it's strength, as am I.

His spirits are so low it kills me to see him that way.  This was the Man who raised me, the Man that was always so strong and could do everything and anything.  He built his children's homes by hand, he helped his sons build their tow truck business by hand, welding those trucks into awesome monsters!
Now, he is broken, and not just physically, his mood and outlook on life is darker than the clouds outside.  The only time I have gotten him to smile with me was when I shared with him how excited I was that I was chosen as a finalist for the Sony contest.

The doctors and nurses try to cheer him up, as do I every minute of the day.  Speaking with the Nurses yesterday, they said we had to come up with a plan to have him look forward to something, so he could give himself the goal of getting better for that reason. 
Immediately I remembered the stories he used to tell us Grandchildren many many years ago. 
We used to sit in the backyard, next to the cars he was fixing, and so to keep us from running around and getting hurt, or knocking the car on top of him, he would tell us stories, such fun stories!!.
He would tell us about the time he wrestled a 12 foot alligator and made shoes and a purse for my Beautiful Grandma (RIP).
Or about the time he swam from Mazatlan, MEX to San Diego,CA with the sharks. 
One of the best ones was when he went skiing on a pair of crocodiles down the Amazon. 
Those were the most awesome stories, of course we knew they weren't real, but to hear and imagine them, it was just so fun!!!

I also remembered that my Grandfather owned every National Geographic magazine ever printed ;)  We would sit and read them together.  We would talk about how cool it would be to go here or there, and do this and that.  He always taught us the importance of reading and learning since a very early age.  My Grandfather had taught me to fully translate for my Family from English to Spanish by the age of 3.  Leaving people amazed all the time, That was my Grandpa. 

Back to my conversations with the Nurses, I told them about becoming a Finalists, and that as a Finalist I had won the Sony Ericsson X10 phone (which is still unreleased in the US), also winning a PSPgo and a FIFA 10 game.  I told them and my Grandfather about the Grand Prize, an 8 day trip to "The most beautiful place on earth" (as he calls it) Africa, and tickets to go to FIFA. 
My Grandfather got excited,the glimmer in his eyes was back.  He immediately started talking about how beautiful Africa is in the pictures and T.V.  How he would have fun walking the lions. 
It was so funny, it was fun, it was great to see him get happy and excited about something. 
Then the charge Nurse asked me to step outside with her, she asked me if I was to win the Grand Prize and get the trip to Africa, who would I take?
I have no idea I told her, my mind went blank suddenly. 
Then I heard this:
"Your Grandfather has been severely depressed since being here, if his health was to get better and you had the Doctor's clearance, would you ever consider taking him with you?"
OMG!!! That was the best idea ever!  He would always talk about going to Africa and wrestle lions in front of me, not that I want to see it happen, but just the thought of giving my Grandfather THAT wish, THE wish of a lifetime. 
It has given ME something to look forward too, something to give me hope that I will see my "strong" Grandfather up and about again. 
We (Nurses and myself) told my Grandfather that if I was to win the Trip to go to Africa and go to FIFA '10, if he would like to go to Africa with me.
You should have seen "that" glimmer in his big blue eyes again!!!
He smiled and made a funny face, he said he thinks he is never getting out of this hospital.  That he thinks he is going to go "upstairs" with my Grandma (RIP) from here. 
I told him that he had to hurry up and get better soon, so I could take him with me. 
He is the talk of the floor ;) Anytime a Nurse walks by his room, they peek in and tell him to hurry up so he can go to Africa with me ;)
Seeing a constant smile in his face has helped him and myself so much.

So now, it is MY wish to take my Grandpa to Africa with me.  Please help me by supporting me, by spreading the word for me, the more support I have, the better my chances are of making OUR dreams come true.

I am on Twitter @Militaryfamof8 and am Tweeting with the hash tag: #SENDMOMMY2FIFA

Two of the judging criteria in the Finalist Blogging Period is: 
1. Readership & Engagement
2. Ability to Generate Online Viral Buzz 

The Judging will end this Sunday May 24, 10. 
Please help make this dream come true for us ;) 

For the first time, just comment love & RT's & FWD's will help make a dream come true.....
I need all the comment love possible!!! ;)

"Sony provided me with a free Sony Ericsson X10 phone and a PSPgo and FIFA Soccer 10 game in connection with my participation in the Sony Ericsson/Sony Style X10 Blogger Contest, which requires me to blog about Sony and/or Sony Ericsson Products."
www.sonystyle.com/X10