Helping Those Who Have Helped Us Before

If you know me, you have heard me speaking about Tony Parodi, the one who changed my career and my life forever since the day he first invited me to work with him in the United States in 2003, opening the doors to the very exclusive entertainment industry, giving me the chance to work on the shows of my dreams and making me part of his family since I arrived. The first time I drove in Miami, was to meet his newborn son, Anthony at Miami Children´s Hospital, who was born a month after my arrival. Now their daughter Noella volunteers to babysit my son without thinking it twice. After almost 20 years of exciting shows around the continent, delicious sushi dinners, amazing gifts, the most important is how Antonio Parodi and Sonia Parodi have always made me feel loved and supported, like a daughter for them. After always taking care of me and many others, for the first time ever, they need my help, our help. Please read Anthony´s story on his GoFundMe Campaign below, donate what you can, and please help us share it. Thank you with all my heart.

Anthony Parodi should be getting ready to start the school year at Belen Jesuit Preparatory…  He should be making plans to celebrate his sixteenth birthday on September 25th. Instead, he’s in critical condition at Holtz Children’s Hospital after suffering complications while undergoing a 15+ hour-long heart and liver transplant surgery on July 24th. He has spent the last 23 days sedated and paralyzed.

Anthony is no stranger to hospitals. He was born with a serious heart condition and he has endured countless surgeries since his birth. However, the last year has been exceptionally difficult for him and his family as his health deteriorated and his liver stopped functioning. Doctors placed him on the national wait list for both a heart and liver transplant, and for the past year, he has been patiently waiting for a donor to save his life. He has been unable to leave the hospital during the last six months because of his delicate condition. As a result of the pandemic, only one parent can accompany him in the hospital at a time and he has not been able to receive any visitors.

An incredibly intelligent and kind young man who has always been an A student, Anthony is a big fan of comic books, Legos and Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds himself publicly invited him to be a part of the next Deadpool movie. Anthony has felt the love of his Belen brothers and his extended family during this difficult time. Anthony and his family are incredibly grateful for the love and support the Belen Jesuit community has given them during these past months. During the 8/13 live broadcast of Univision’s Premios Juventud, one of the music awards shows his father production manages, the entire production crew gave Anthony a standing ovation and wished him a speedy recovery live, on-air. Immediately after his transplant surgery, an emergency blood drive organized for him at his parish broke records and was the biggest blood drive organized for any one recipient in Miami’s history. It goes without saying that Anthony is loved by many in the Miami community. Many who have been touched by him and/or by his family, who wish they could do more to help during this extremely difficult time.

Needless to say, the Parodi family’s finances have been stretched very thin as a result of Anthony’s extended hospital stay and the serious complications that arose during the transplant surgery. Anthony’s parents are mindful about everyone else’s own struggles during these unprecedented times and they are too selfless to ever ask for help; therefore, this campaign has been organized on their behalf. We have been overwhelmed by requests from friends, extended family and colleagues who want to help the Parodi Family in any way that they can… to give back in return for the countless ways in which Tony and Sonia have positively impacted their own lives. What better way to do so than with a donation to help secure Anthony’s future once he recovers?

Anthony will recover. He will live a healthy, normal life. He will graduate Belen and he will go to college. How amazing would it be for the Parodi family to have Anthony’s medical expenses covered, but also to be able to plan for college once he recovers, without having to worry about money? Let’s join together to help Tony, Sonia and Noella manifest Anthony’s recovery, celebrate his high school graduation and send him off to college healthy, happy and without any financial concerns.

Thanks in advance for your support,