Eliana and I are both blogueras, Latina bloggers with a cause, a mission, a purpose. While  neither of us can fully understand what life is like for the other, we come pretty darn close. While I have spina bifida, Eliana has two children (not one, but two), and both were born with Down Syndrome.

Above photo courtesy of ElianaTardio.com

If there’s anyone who I imagine doing more to remove the stigma from life with a disability, it’s Eliana. Whether it’s relating a funny story about her children’s wittiness, or posting a beautiful photo on Facebook for all to see of a tender moment between the two siblings, Eliana is constantly showing the world that her life while raising two kids with Down Syndrome, while at times challenging, is wonderful. 

Her compelling words of love, hope, true beauty, wisdom, and universal compassion challenge her readers to view “disability” in a different way– a positive way.

While I am becoming more and more honest with my own readers, I’m a lifelong cynic when it comes to “letting people in.” But with Eliana, I can’t help but always have my guard down, because to me, she reminds me of my own Mami– beautiful, compassionate, and funny, and fiercely devoted to the well-being of her children.

An incredibly gifted and bilingual writer, Eliana is a contributor for various online publications and Web sites, including Babble, Mamiverse, Voxxi, About.com and Blogs de Mamás. She has also worked for the Early Steps program, and for Healthy Start Southwest Florida as an Educational Outreach Liaison.

Lisa and I admiring Eliana's passion and conviction as she speaks during the Blogging for a Cause panel at Hispanicize 2012.

As is hopefully the case with most unsung heroes, her community has indeed taken notice of her work. Eliana has been interviewed for several news publications, TV news outlets, and blogs, such as Mamás Latinas, Al Rojo Vivo con María Celeste, Univision’s Viva la Familia, and for Telemundo’s Madres Triunfadoras, to name just a few accolades. And this past May, I was honored to stand alongside her and our mutual friend, Lisa Quiñones-Fontánez of AutismWonderland.com, as together, we spoke up during the White House briefing that was the highlight of LATISM’s Top Blogueras Retreat. It was truly one of the most inspiring moments of my life! This was one of just a few times we’ve met in person, but when I do see her in person, it’s like picking up right where I left off…like meeting with a sister!

Eliana speaking passionately about special education at the White House, while Lisa and I (again!) look on in amazement!

For these and many other reasons, I have chosen to nominate Eliana for the Yahoo! Women Who Shine campaign. I can’t imagine a better nominee for this campaign, and I was so honored and humbled when she accepted my nomination.

The Yahoo! Women Who Shine campaign aims to “celebrate the women out there who are blazing new trails, touching lives or are just being amazing every single day.” That sounds exactly like Eliana to me, so please be sure to vote for her, and she might have the chance to win $10,000 to help kids like her beloved Emir and Ayelén continue to shine on. Please vote for Eliana here! 

To find out more about Yahoo! Women Who Shine, please visit this link.

Please “like” the Yahoo! Shine Facebook page here to stay up-to-date with great content.

Also, don’t forget to Tweet using the #womenwhoshine hashtag and visit the site to nominate other fabulous women who rock!

Disclosure:  I was compensated for this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

© 2012, Laurita. All rights reserved.