Imation Project Rare Photo Contest - Top Prize Winner

Yippeee!!! I won the top prize for the Imation Project Rare Photo Contest! This is such a wonderful blessing to kinda end the year with a bang, although its only one of the many blessings I am thankful for, God has given this year 2008! : )

This Photo Contest is kinda unique. First off, it is the first time Imation as a company did an event which more than promotes their products, they supported an advocacy partnering with the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders ( PSOD ). This advocacy spearheads the cause of helping kids, usually infants battling one of the several rare genetic disorders described as the " orphan disorders " due to its rarity ( one in 200 thousand to one is to a million afflicted ) and the fact that no drugs are made to cure these diseases due to lack of commercial viability for the pharmaceutical companies thus, these kids are practically " orphaned ".

Imation together with the PSOD and other sponsors organized this event to build up awareness about these disorders and seek to gain more support in every way possible to minimize or eradicate completely these diseases through more funding, research and procurement of already existing cures or medicine.

It is an amazing thing to win this contest, but when I heard the whole story of what this was really all about, all the more was I privileged to have been part of it. What was another amazing thing was being able to actually meet and hear " Dikoy ".

" Dikoy " ( i hope I got his name right, Im so slow with names sorry ) is some sort of an industrial engineer. He owns and runs his own company at the young age of 29. But here's the thing - Dikoy is disabled. His muscles slowly atrophied while growing up until he was practically paralyzed from the neck down. He had one of the rare orphan's disease that took its toll on his body. Doctors said he had no chance of getting into his 20s - he will pass away.

He's 31 now.

He is 98% disabled.

He finished school ( La Salle )

He is an industrial engineer.

He has his own company.

He's kinda like the local version of the Team Hoyts ( search it at YouTube ).

If you're still not picking up the moral of this story... Its simple,

YOU CAN. WE CAN.

Whatever the bad circumstances one has in life - it can be overcome. God always honors the faith.

I got more than win this contest really. I got to meet this awesome guy, Dikoy. He is living life to the fullest and helping people, kids have their chance to do so. Meeting this guy, there is no acceptable excuse anymore into living miserable, unproductive lives. We choose our destiny. No one shoves it to us nor can impose anything to us. Circumstances do not dictate the outcome, our choice does. We have it in us.

I have been inspired all the more by all these being done by PSOD and Imation. Being the top winner had just become an add on. I love winning but I also love to inspire, be inspired and to meet and encounter those who inspire others towards being better people.

This is rare. But amazing nonetheless. Project Rare by Imation - Mission Accomplished. : )

More to Come. : )