Published: February 05, 2011
Heart Patient from Children's Hospital Los Angeles Is the Boy Behind Darth Vader Mask in Super Bowl Commercial
LOS ANGELES - (BUSINESS WIRE) - At the tender age of 6, Max Page has already made a name for himself as
an actor. The young man is a member of the cast of "The Young and the
Restless," and has become an overnight YouTube sensation as the little
"man behind the Darth Vader mask" in a Volkswagen ad that
will air during the NFL's Super Bowl XLV. In 24 hours, the number of
hits to the TV commercial went from 1.5 million on Thursday to more than
7 million on Friday.
Pediatric cardiologist Michael Silka, MD, (left) of Children's Hospital Los Angeles greets his patient Sam Page (bottom right) and his family, parents Buck and Jennifer Page and brother Ellison. The diminutive Sam played Darth Vader in a Volkswagen commercial that has received national attention with 7 million hits on YouTube and will air during the NFL Super Bowl on Sunday. (Photo: Business Wire)
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0
It's hard to imagine that at 4-months of age, Max was diagnosed with
Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect in children. At that
time, Buck and Jennifer Page brought their infant son to Children's
Hospital Los Angeles, where he received a pacemaker.
Parents Jennifer and Buck Page, returned to the hospital on Friday with
both Max and his brother, Ellison, to visit with Michael
Silka, MD. Head of the hospital's Division
of Cardiology and Max's pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Silka spoke
very positively about his energetic young patient.
"Max's prognosis going forward is very good," Silka says. "He can
essentially have normal activity and with careful care, a full life is a
reasonable expectation."
As for Max's parents, they see this attention as an opportunity to reach
out to parents whose children suffer from heart conditions.
"When we first received the diagnosis, we were lost," Buck
explains. After going through the experience, they learned firsthand how
traumatic it can be as a parent of a child with a serious ailment.
Mr. and Mrs. Page hope that in sharing their experience, they can help
other parents of sick children understand they are not alone.
"Before our experience with Max, I would walk through the hospital and
see sick children and be afraid to look at them," Buck says. "Now, I
make a point to look them all in the eye and say, 'Hello.'"
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles: Children's Hospital Los Angeles
is one of the nation's top children's hospitals and is acknowledged
worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. The
Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles is among the
largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United
States. Children's Hospital is a premier teaching hospital and has been
affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of
Southern California since 1932.
Editor's Note: Unfortunately, the Page Family and spokespersons from
Children's Hospital Los Angeles will not be available for comment on
this story on Saturday and Sunday.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6599964&lang=en
Public relations contact:
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
bgreene@chla.usc.edu
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