The 'Young and the Restless' actor writes 'all the things he can do so he could focus on those' before he goes under the knife for an open-heart surgery.
- Jun 13, 2012
AceShowbiz - Max Page, who is well known for his appearance as little Darth Vader in Volkswagen's popular Super Bowl commercial, is going to undergo an open-heart surgery on Wednesday, June 13. With the help from his mother, the young actor "wrote out all the things he can do so he could focus on those" before he goes under the knife.
7-year-old Max was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect when he was only a few months old. He has Tetralogy of Fallot, a syndrome that includes four major features, including a "hole in the heart", a thickened muscular heart wall and issues with the 2 blood vessels that lead away from the heart. The goal of the upcoming surgery is to repair a hole in his heart and replace his pulmonary valve.
In an email released by the Deutsch LA ad agency, Max's mother dished on his initial reaction when he first heard about the latest surgery he's going to have. "Max was crying and repeating how scared he was. We unpeeled the layers by asking what exactly he was afraid of and tackled each issue as he could verbalize it," she shared.
The child actor, who plays Reed on the top-rated CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless", said that his "big three" fears was "blood draws, spending the night in the hospital and hurting." According to his mother, "he was also very sad that summer would be in rest in recovery instead of playing baseball, golf and traveling."
To help him overcome his fears, his mother "would stay up with him and talk," during which he revealed he wanted to make a "Can Do" list. Among the things that he wanted to do was "Fun Up the house." His mom recounted, "We went and got Els [Max's brother] out of bed and spent the next hour redesigning each room with a theme, special rules and secret codes."
"In the Library (Els' Room) we have to read with flashlights. On Whisper Lane (the hallway) you have to whisper. Going up the stairs you have to sing 'Take me out to the ball game.' The most favorite is the garage - Explode Zone - science experiments and art projects, the messier the better."
In his recent talk with his mother, he said, "Mom I don't have a choice. I have to go through it. I don't like it and it's still scary - but I have to. So I think I might as well go through it with a good attitude." In response, her mother stated, "We too, shall do it with a good attitude. Though we will still tremble with tears and have our overwhelming moments - we will focus on the 'CAN DO' and enjoy our Fun Up House."
Max Page became an overnight internet sensation through the Volkswagen ad. In the commercial, he wanders around the house in a Darth Vader costume, trying to unleash his force to no avail. Frustrated by the fact that nothing happens to his objects of experiment, little Vader then tries it out on his father's car.
Max, who has undergone multiple surgeries before, serves as an ambassador for Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, where he's going to have his surgery, to raise money for other children with heart defects.
