Help Tessa With Her New Year's Resolution

It was Christmas Day, and the conversation between Tessa Blue, 16, and her dad somehow turned to iPhones.

She doesn’t quite remember all of the details of the conversation, but Tessa remembers that when she brought up the subject, all of a sudden her dad snapped at her and they got into an argument.

“I was just trying to tell him to be positive, not negative, with all that’s going on,” said Tessa, whose family lives in San Francisco. She is a black belt at in San Bruno and a junior at Mercy High School in Burlingame.

Tessa’s dad, Mike Blue, 47, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease a year ago and his condition has gotten progressively worse, she said. He has been constrained to sitting down all of the time because he can’t stand or walk anymore. His doctors say he only has about a year a live, which has put a strain on his routine and on the family, Tessa said.

But with a new year approaching, there also comes new hopes and possibilities.

Tessa happened to be on Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry’s fan page on Facebook, and she saw an announcement about a one-day contest he launched today, asking fans to submit their best New Year’s resolutions for a chance to win a pair of his autographed Nike basketball shoes.

What a great way to make up with her dad over a meaningless argument and start the new year off right, she thought.

“My resolution for this New Years is to be the best daughter I can be while he’s still here and cherish all the time I have left with him completely,” Tessa wrote in her contest entry. “This New years I want to help my Dad feel like he isn’t dying and that he is spending the best time of his life with his family and friends.”

The contestant’s submission with the most votes will win Curry’s shoes. Votes can only be cast today from 3 to 7 p.m. on Facebook.

So far, the contest has received nearly 415 submissions.

Tessa said winning the contest would help her make sure that she doesn’t leave any regrets behind in 2011. She also just wants her dad and her family—her mom, her 8-year-old sister and 13-year-old brother—to be able to have a normal day.

“I would like to help my Dad feel normal for once without worries, and without being scared…just being loved,” she wrote on Facebook.

To help Tessa with New Year's resolution, go to the Facebook contest's page and cast your vote. Voting lasts until 7 p.m. today.