DROP TV Spotlight: Roberto

For this special blog post, the MC’s are highlighting one of DROP TV’s producers, Roberto. We got an inside look at him, his team and his documentary, “The Miracle,” about a heart transplant he received at eight-years-old. “The Miracle” will premiere on the upcoming episode of DROP TV.

Question: Why did you decide to do a piece about something so personal?

Answer: The reason why I decided to do something personal was because there are people who have a lot of health conditions and there are also a lot of people who don’t care about those who are sick. If people hear this story they might be more inclined to help those who might need an organ transplant.

Q: What were some of the things you dealt with before your surgery?

A: Well before my surgery, my heart wasn’t working very well. The left side was working but the other side wasn’t, it was kind of like a half of a heart, but different. I mean I did pretty well. I didn’t do a lot of exercises, even in school I wasn’t allowed to do gym until the fourth grade. After, like now, I’m doing pretty well. I don’t get shortness of breath easily and I do a lot of sports and exercises.

Q: Besides better health, how else has this surgery changed your life? 

A: It got me stronger, it made me smarter for some reason; I have no idea why. It showed me that no matter how many health conditions you have, there is no submitting, meaning giving up until you have to.

Q: What inspired you to tell your story?

A: When we were going over the list of what had to be in the episode [of DROP TV]  and they talked about a personal piece, I realized I could tell my story to YouTube.

    

Q: What is the message you are trying to convey with your piece?
A: The message I’m trying to give, there’s two actually. The first message is, those who have health conditions such as needing a kidney or a heart or if possible a new spine, you should always help those who need to be helped. Second is, when you’re in the hospital and you think there is a chance for you to give up, you do not give up. You do not submit. You keep trying until you find a way.

Q: What do you remember most about life before your surgery?

A: The things I remember most about life before my surgery were me having a normal, typical life. Playing with my brothers, hanging out with my mom and dad, being with friends. I do remember having to go to the hospital a lot because of the heart. It wasn’t every day but once every month I had to go.

Q: What would you say to a little boy who is now in the same position you were in at that age?

A: I would say to that little boy, do not give up and do not submit. If you can, have fun and try not to eat the waffles [in the hostpital], because they are very soggy.

Q: How did your family deal with your surgery?

A: My mom was kind of nervous, my dad was normal and he was mostly there a lot for me. My brothers were a little worried but they always came to see me.

Q: Are there any precautions you have to take because of this?
A: I can do a lot of stuff, but what I mostly can’t do is eat grapefruit, because of the   medication I take. Also, with the new heart, I can get easily out of breath so when I run they say don’t push it.

Q: Where do you think your passion for media came from?

A: When I was four I saw my first movie, the Batman movie, and there was a lot of stuff that they did which was very amazing. When I was five I saw “The Terminator.” It was very interesting with all the robots and it kept me thinking, “I want to make a movie someday with a lot of effects,” and that’s why I wanted to do film directing.

Q: What is something you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t because of your heart condition?

A: Before my heart condition I wanted to play a sport; I wanted to play soccer. I always watched the world cup with my dad and I was always interested in soccer but because of my heart condition I wasn’t able to. But now, after the heart transplant, hopefully in the high school I’m going to join the soccer team.

Q: What are some of your ideas for future pieces

A: One idea that I thought of was, it’s 20 years in the future and this guy wakes up out of nowhere. He’s in this room and he doesn’t know how he got in there so he goes out in the world finding out who he was and what’s his purpose, but a group of people are trying to stop him. He was like, a secret weapon to their organization. If he knew who he was, he would come after them and just annihilate them.

Q: What celebrity have you always wanted to work with, like actors or directors? 

A: One of my favorite actors is George Lopez. He was in “Rio,” he played Rafael and it was just so funny what he was saying to the wife and the kids, it was just hilarious.

Q: Who do you want to thank for helping you with this production?

A: The person I would want to thank for helping with my piece would be my brother Arturo. We always dreamed of making a movie together, maybe like a short film and with the idea I have we could do it. So one day we will.

 

Special reporting by MC Larken.