Elizabeth Bress selected “Cruceña of Gold” by Unitel Bolivia

Elizabeth Bress named ‘Cruceña of Gold’ by Unitel Bolivia Cruceña is a term used for people that are natives from the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia

The following is the English translation for the Bolivian interview with the courageous, Elizabeth:

Narrator: For those who have faced insecurity due to a handicap in your life, here is an inspirational story for us all. We introduce to you: Ms. Bolivia International 2004, Elizabeth Bress our ‘Crucena of Gold’

Elizabeth: I have had a total of seven surgeries. The first one was when I was six months old; the last one was the amputation of my leg at age 11.

Narrator: She was born with the lack of a tibia in her right leg preventing the growth of three toes and resulting in a shorter leg. At the same time that she was growing, so were her fears. She was often made fun of and faced discrimination among other unpleasant experiences. At age 24, she traveled to the United States to pursue her dreams. Today she is a professional woman with a BA in Business, a Masters in Marketing; she is fluent in English and she has succeeded in countless projects.

Elizabeth: When I received my first ‘high tech leg’ I decided I was going to learn everything I wasn’t able to do before. I took spinning classes, hikes and learn to swim….It has been a process of emotional liberation that has transformed my life.

Narrator: She overcame all insecurities and found love. Recently she became a mother and arrived to her country to fully open up and offer her help to other handicapped residents of Bolivia.

Elizabeth: I am finding ways to donate wheelchairs, braces, commodes, and cold therapy to rehab patients in Bolivia through our non-profit and avoid paying such high custom fees.

Narrator: For the first time, she poses in front of the camera exposing her prosthetic leg allowing us to see her full length. There is no doubt of her outside beauty, but most importantly is her inner beauty that shines and has motivated her mother to write a book about her that will be published in March of 2013. Her mother says with teary eyes, “I love you so much honey”.

All say: ”Elizabeth is a Cruceña of Gold!”

As I said before: A true inspiration to all. We all can learn so much from her, I certainly have.

BY: Jeff Vonder Haar Co-Founder ‘Sending Out an SOS’