Latin Heat News Services

Actress Sofia Vergara and singer/songwriter Luis Fonsi are among several Latino artists joining the annual holiday campaign of a nonprofit hospital that cares for children with cancer.

The Latino stars are among more than 20 actors, artists, entertainers and sports personalities supporting St. Jude Thanks and Giving, an annual campaign to help raise funds for the world-famous hospital that treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases totally free of charge. They recorded public service videos in English and Spanish.

Designated by the National Cancer Institute as the only comprehensive cancer center devoted to children, the hospital also conducts research and creates treatments that it shares with the world’s medical and scientific community.

“The children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital hold a special place in my heart and I am thrilled to once again participate in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign,” says Vergara (Modern Family), one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actresses. “St. Jude treats children from across the country and around the world and they freely share the discoveries they make worldwide to save thousands more children.

Says singer songwriter Fonsi of Despacito mega-fame, “The kindness and love that surrounds the children at St. Jude motivates me each and every day. And the positivity and strength of the children is inspiring.”

There are other Latinos in a long roster of entertainment and sports luminaries helping St. Jude’s holiday effort with public service announcements, radio spots and social media calls to action. They are actress Blanca Soto (Eva Luna, Dinner for Schmucks) and traditional Mexican music artists Banda El Recodo, Gerardo Ortiz, and Luis Coronel. The complete list includes Jennifer Aniston, Michael Strahan, Yara Shahidi, Anthony Hamilton, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Dwane Casey, Erica Campbell, Jake Owen, Jekalyn Carr, JoJo Siwa, Keith Urban, Kirk Franklin, Lady A, MAJOR., Tim McGraw, Sam Hurley, and The Game Theorists Matthew and Stephanie Patrick.  

Sofia Vergara Featured picture photo credit: St. Jude

To check out the public service announcements in English, visit St. Jude’s website.

For Spanish-language videos click here.

The post Latino Stars Join Hospital Holiday Effort first appeared on .

“Option C” chronicles the struggle of one woman’s defiance of traditional cancer treatments

By Elia Esparza

Option C is coming to the big screen! Triumphant accomplishment for actress Lourdes Reynolds (Colon) and her producer husband, Chris LaVoy. It’s been a journey full of ups and downs. The new film is based on Reynolds life story and how she confronted a diagnosis of cancer and her determination to use her vast knowledge of how the body functions to fight the fight of her life.

Whereas Reynolds and LaVoy’s 2014 award-winning documentary, Create Option C: My Journey with Cancer chronicles her death-defying determination to beat her stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on her terms, the new movie, Option C is the story of her life before cancer, her diagnosis and then how she got to the point where she convinced her husband to the difficult task of filming her ordeal, every step of the way.

When first diagnosed, Reynolds was at the height of her career—her first big break in Hollywood—having secured a series regular role on CBS hit series, Without A Trace. She was cast as Anna Rodriguez after impressing Casting Director Fern Orenstein, who saw her audition for a CBS diversity showcase.  Her other credits include: The District, Mercer (TV Pilot), The Journeys, Encounters, and Sin Fronteras among others.

In 2010, Reynolds’ was diagnosed and learned her body was riddled with the deadly cancer and was given only two options to consider: (A) Do nothing and die or (B) Accept the traditional treatments of toxic chemotherapy, and probably still die. She declined both opting to create her own option (C) only accepting more natural, holistic treatments. This decision shook her family and friends to the core.  Reynolds firmly believed that her only chance of survival was to go with natural treatments to cure herself versus the toxic chemical-laced medical practices that not only kill cancer cells but also every other cell and organ in its path.

Option C, a Starangel Film Productions, is slated to open at the end of 2019 or early 2020. Reynolds’ shared some details of her new film adventure:

LatinHeat: Tell us about Option C?

Lourdes Reynolds: Our new film is based on the true story of my life, primarily focusing on my life before and after my diagnosis and how I dealt with my healing and survival.

LH: How does it differ from your heart-wrenching documentary Create Option C, My Journey with Cancer?

LR: It is not just a narrative telling of the documentary that we made about my cancer. Option C is far more comprehensive, and reveals the emotional journey in a way that we couldn’t in the documentary. So other than a couple of clips from the documentary, the movie is its own story.

LH: How did the movie version of your story come about? 

LR: It just made sense especially from the overwhelming number of people from around the world reaching out to me for assistance with their own cancer.

LH: They saw your documentary—

LR: Yes. My story gave them hope and with cancer and deadly decisions, sometimes the lack of hope diminishes the will to fight. Also, there are the friends and family members who were dealing with cancer. Chris [LaVoy] and I had plenty of motivation to expand and reach a wider number of people in a way that my one interaction (documentary) was not. At first we decided to write a book. But as time went on, we got clear through many conversations with people in the industry that we needed also to make this a movie.

LH: So you decided to start writing—

LR: Yes, and everything just seem to fall into place as we wrote the script. 

LH:  Can you talk about the budget?

LR: The budget at this moment looks to be around $70 million. We’ve secured a private investor.

LH: Have you cast it?

LR: We have several actors in mind that at this time we cannot mention their names until we have all contracts signed and in place.

LH: Will you play yourself?

LR: I am playing myself and have a couple of my actor friends will also play themselves as they were a part of my journey—actors/filmmakers Yeniffer Behrens and Mauricio Mendoza. 

“I’m honored to have been part of her team #createoptionc the award-winning documentary. Now I feel humbled and privileged to be invited to join a stellar cast for Option C! – Yeniffer Behrens, Actress/Filmmaker

LH: Who are the writers, director, producers, and executive producers?

LR: My husband Chris [LaVoy] and I wrote the script together. Directing the film is the amazing three-time EMMY winner, Mary Madeiras. Chris, myself and along with two other award-winning producers—Augustin (Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life) and Casper Martinez (Urban Latino TV, Mega Especialies: John Leguizamo), complete our principal team.

LH: We understand you have some news on your documentary— after an expansive and successful grassroots campaign, did your baby get distribution?

LR:   Create Option C: My Journey with Cancer got distribution! A dear friend of mine watched the documentary and he asked about distribution. I let him know that we hadn’t gotten that far with the documentary. He then proceeded to say, ‘Create Option C should be out for the world to see. Let me connect you with a friend who has that connection.’ Long story short, Indie Rights Movie, a  distribution company watched our documentary and immediately got back to me and said that they were interested in distributing it. We are so happy and it should be in theaters this Spring, maybe March.

LH: That’s great, Lourdes! Congratulations!

LR: It was a long process and it would never have happened without the incredible support we received from the community, our friends and family. Chris and I are very happy for everyone involved in helping us bring to fruition our documentary.

LH: Going through your cancer ordeal — and it was a battle not many are able to survive, how has it changed you as a woman? As an actress?

LR: Going through this big C difficult phase made things in life clearer for me. It made me see what was important, understand why I got sick and how I can/could turn this around and show others how to avoid the disease and even how to turn it around for themselves. And, what it takes to do that. No easy thing, but ultimately this experience showed me the beauty in all life. I became vegan. Though when I have traveled or have been out with friends I have cheated a little by having eggs. But I must admit I can never take more than a bite from the eggs before I want to puke [laughs].

As an actress I feel it has really put me in a space of emotions where I tend to see the life I am reading and can suddenly feel that character’s world much quicker then I used to.   

LH: Any other projects premiering soon or coming in 2019? Tell us about them.

LR: In 2019, I look forward to making the true story Option C, and I’m also looking forward to the release of our book “Our Journey to Option C.” We are in the middle of a few film projects that we plan on getting off the ground along with a TV series titled Fly. I also did a few shorts that will be touring the 2019 film festivals. One short, In Terms of Us, I had the honor of playing actor/director Roberto Sanchez’s cousin.  I loved the story and working with Roberto was honestly so great. Another film I also worked on is Broken Innocents, co-starring with Oscar Torre and Roberto Sanchez.

Also for 2019, it is my hope to work on films and play characters that are female-driven especially characters of women who have made a stance in life. I’d love to see more roles of women who stand in power and not just the wife or secretary unless she kicks butt at night while the world is sleeping!

LH: What is it that you hope people will get out of watching your film? OR what do you hope is the film’s core message?  

LR: I hope people get that there is a cure and cancer is not something to fear but instead understanding cancer and why it started in the first place is our first defense. I want them to know that we control in either turning on that gene or keeping it off. And that’s with any health issue. That fear only gets in our way of healing. 

Thank you, Lourdes Reynolds!

Follow Lourdes on Social Media:

Facebook CreateOptionC

Instagram lourdesreynold

Twitter @LourdesReynold

Hastags: #optionc #ichooseoptionc #vegan

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