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Inspiring words from Eva Longoria in the new issue of Parade magazine.

The Desperate Housewives star opens up about her older sister, Liza, and how she’s been influenced and 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 special-education teacher to help Liza and others 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.”

“My family is extremely optimistic,” she continues. “I’m really blessed. It’s just in my nature to be cheerful. I don’t try to be that way, but I’ve learned there’s no better medicine than laughing.”

Eva credits her whole work ethic to her mother. “She raised us [Longoria and her three sisters] on a teacher’s salary with my dad working all the time. I don’t know how she did it. That’s why I never feel like I’m doing enough. I have to constantly do more and more, because it’s nothing compared to what my mother did.”

Her childhood experiences have driven her to charitable involvements, including Padres Contra El Cáncer (Parents Against Cancer) and the Entertainment Industry Foundation/Callaway Golf Foundation, where she tries to raise awareness of ovarian cancer. “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 is passionate about the need for people like U to get involved too. “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.”

Amen! Amen!

- CLICK HERE for more information on Eva’s Heroes

- CLICK HERE for more information on Padres Contra El Cáncer

and

- CLICK HERE for more information on the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

[Image via WENN.]

Last night in LA Eva Longoria came out in a cute, slinky gold dress to open up her new restaurant, Beso, and promote Samsung’s newest Blackjack II. GeekSugar and I were lucky enough to score an invite to the event where we enjoyed the awesome new space alongside the likes of Eva and The Hills girls. Whitney was there all night (and adorable) while LC and Audrina showed up fashionably late just a little before midnight. Unfortunately, they weren’t filming their tooooootally not fake show. Also, I somehow missed adorable Zachary Levi from Chuck, boo, but I did get a good John Voight sighting . . . random. Music for the evening was provided by the Ronson siblings with Samantha spinning and Mark’s band performing. Fun times in Hollywood.

To see more from the party including Blake Lewis, Eva, Heidi Fleiss, Samantha Ronson, Mark Ronson, and others

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To make up for, well, the worst sex tape ever, here’s Eva Longoria squeezing through some cars. What’s that? You don’t understand how Eva Longoria squeezing through cars makes up for anything? Just trust me, it does. And that’s a fact. A scientific fact. I’ve got equations and pie charts scribbled on some napkins to prove it. It’s complicated, you wouldn’t understand. Far too sciency.