Inspirational!

Eva Longoria has opened her heart in the new issue of Parade magazine. The Desperate Housewives star spoke about her older sister, Liza, and how she’s been inspired by her.

“Liza is mentally challenged,” Eva reveals. “She was my hero growing up. It was a blessing to watch her overcome every obstacle—tying her shoes, putting on a shirt, getting out the front door. And yet she still had a job and would come home on the bus by herself and help with dinner. You could only imagine the hurdles she encountered every minute of the day.”

Eva’s mother, Ella, became a teacher for mentally challenged people, to help Liza and other people coping with disabilities.

“Liza was a role model to get me ready for life in Hollywood,” Longoria adds. “You don’t take health for granted. You don’t take life for granted. It seems so insignificant to go, ‘Darn it, I didn’t get that movie role,’ or, ‘Darn it, so-and-so is wearing the same dress as me to the Emmys.’ I didn’t know there was another way. I thought everyone should be sensitive and somewhat unselfish.”

“I’m a woman, I’m a daughter, and I have a sister with a mental disability,” she says. “So a lot of causes are very relevant to me.” Her sister Liza is the inspiration for the actress’s own San Antonio-based Eva’s Heroes. “We help intellectually disabled children grow and play,” she explains. “We set up after-school programs, and we’ve put on golf tournaments to raise money where I prove that I’m a terrible golfer. But I can drive a mean golf cart and wear the cute outfits.”

Eva Longoria wants you to help out! Make donation! She adds: “You can never think, ‘I’m not rich. I’m not famous. What could I possibly do?’ ” she says. “What makes the world go ’round is everyday people.”

A true inspiration to us all! And such beautiful lady!