A few weeks after the hurricanes struck, I rekindled my old dream of writing a book and sharing the stories of a young girl from Paraguay who overcame many obstacles to make her dreams come true. My great grand parents came from Italy and Spain and were immigrants in Paraguay making a good living but they lost all their fortune and they became poor again during the depression. If you like reading how someone born in a poor country became successful in the United States, then you’ll enjoy this book. It will take you on a journey that includes the history of the country where I was born and how my early life set the tone for the choices I would later make.

Wonderful experiences in business, marriage, medicine, and spirituality have made my journey interesting and successful. I hope the story of my road to success, independence, and happiness will inspire others.

After my father announced we could choose a toy if we were the best in our class, I knew I had to win. I was in first grade, and it was the first time I had ever entered a school competition. My dream was to have a doll similar to my sister’s, or a tricycle. I was determined to work hard and win.

This first incentive was significant in my life. It created a spirit of competition and a desire to follow my dreams. Even though I wasn’t number one in my class, I got second place, and that victory put me in better standing with my father than my brother and sisters. At the end of the school year, we were sitting all together with our report cards.

My father said, “Let me see how your grades are.”

All of us handed our reports cards to him.

Dad said, “Congratulations! Everyone did well, but we have to find a winner for this year’s competition.”

We shouted, “Who won, Daddy?”

Dad announced, “Your mother and I believe Elizabeth won the competition based on her grades and being second best in her class. But since everyone did well, we’ll all go for ice cream tonight and to a movie on Sunday.”

“Hurray! Hurray!” we shouted. Going for ice cream at the Belvedere Restaurant and ordering the portuguesa flavor, my favorite, was a heavenly reward for me. Portuguesa is pink in color, like strawberry, but tastes better than the best vanilla.

I jumped out of my chair and immediately told Dad “I want a big doll for my prize.”

Our budget was just enough to feed us, dress us, and pay our regular bills. We had no money for extras, and my parents couldn’t afford a new doll. Fortunately, my mother found a used doll in a second-hand store. The doll’s eyes were sunken inside her head, and my mom looked for someone who could repair it. She also bought pink fabric with flowers and designed a lovely doll dress with short sleeves and a wide skirt. She even made a beautiful bonnet and a pair of white booties with laces. It was the most beautiful doll I could ever have imagined. I named her Kitty.

Later in life, when I was thirty-eight years old and visiting Niagara Falls, I went into a toy store looking for something to give our daughter Kathleen, who was eleven years old. To my surprise, I saw a German doll similar to Kitty, my beautiful childhood doll. Without a moment’s hesitation, I bought the doll and called her Jennifer. Today, this doll sits in a leather recliner in our guest bedroom, a happy reminder of my childhood. To me, this doll represents my first dream, a dream that led me to excel in a career that brought freedom and financial independence to my family.