Can a vital message of health and hope be spread through friendship? The founders of the Al D. Rodriguez Liver Foundation (ADRLF) believe it can. It is an organization originally founded by a group of 10 friends who wished to pay tribute to a talented New York actor, Al D. Rodriguez, who lost his life to liver cancer in 2008. The foundation, which is named in honor of Rodriguez, is driven by the dedication of his friends and fellow actors. The board includes Tony-award-winning actress, Sara Ramirez, of the top-rated television medical drama, “Grey’s Anatomy,” and Emmy-award-winner, Carson Kressley, of Lifetime network’s popular program, “How to Look Good Naked.” Both are founding board members and hands-on contributors to the organization’s efforts.
They are committed to letting people know that hepatitis can lead to the most common form of liver cancer. The foundation is a nonprofit organization on a mission to educate everyone about the link between chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the fifth most common cancer in the world.
Keeping Memories Alive
Ramirez says she wanted to help establish a foundation because “as Al’s ‘brothers and sisters,’ we felt the need to keep his memory alive.” She adds that his friends and acquaintances knew him to be incredibly selfless and wanted to find a way of celebrating his life while giving back to those in need through the foundation.
Kressley says the board is a family of friends that Rodriguez created as a wonderfully generous person. “He was always giving of his time and talents. He would help you with anything. After his death, we wanted to honor his kind spirit and keep his memory alive.”
The members of the original board were close friends of Rodriguez, according to Carlos Ortiz, M.D., ADRLF board chairman. “The board was established on July 30, 2008, the date of Al’s death,” he remembers.
At the time he became ill, Al Rodriguez was a working actor with no health insurance. His liver cancer was advanced when it was found in both lobes of the liver and the portal vein. His diagnosis was bleak. Ortiz remembers that his friend wanted to fight, but the only medicine he could take made him very sick. Six weeks following his diagnosis, Rodriguez was gone.
The original board expanded as people heard the heart-rending story and decided to contribute their skills and time. Dr. Ortiz says the foundation’s board has been discussing the organization’s direction but wants its efforts to involve education, vaccination and screening. The foundation is working with existing medical and charitable organizations in the New York City area to plan future projects, such as testing and outreach initiatives for hepatitis C.
“We also want to help people who have no medical insurance receive follow-up care after testing positive,” he explains. “There are people out there earning enough to take care of their living expenses but not enough to pay for medical care – just as Al was.”
Ortiz recalls how Rodriguez had to maneuver through the health care system without insurance when he became ill. Originally, those who knew him wanted to hold a benefit to help with his medical expenses. “After he died so quickly, our efforts evolved into establishing a foundation in his memory,” says Ortiz. “Our first meeting was in October of 2008.”
Rodriguez had suffered from hepatitis B, a preventable disease. It is estimated that chronic hepatitis B infections cause 80 percent of all primary liver cancer worldwide. The ADRLF wants people to get tested for hepatitis B and C, and vaccinated for HBV. The foundation is on a mission to educate people about the relationship between chronic hepatitis and HCC.
“Al lived life to the fullest, and he left a legacy,” recalls Ortiz. “It’s heart-wrenching how he died. We are dedicated to this foundation because of him. He was a talented actor, performer, producer, mentor and creator who died at 45 years of age.” The organization’s website, www.aldrodriguezliverfoundation.com, shares a very personal design that details the actor’s story and encourages visitors to learn more about hepatitis.
An Annual Celebration
The foundation plans on fundraising through artistic venues. The first major fundraiser was a gala held in May of 2009 that raised $12,000. The benefit included performances by a number of entertainers, including Ramirez. The gala was emceed by Kressley, who considered it an honor to be a part of the special evening, which was both a tribute to and celebration of the life of Rodriguez. “I believe Al’s spirit was with us at the event. He was a tremendous entertainer himself.” Kressley adds that the foundation is committed to spending any funds raised “in a way that will do the most good.”
Held on New York’s Fire Island, the fundraiser was advertised online and through posters. Tickets were sold to the public, and the community responded generously. The Rodriguez family came to the successful benefit, organized by friends to honor a friend.
Ramirez explains that the foundation plans on having an annual gala, and if possible, to create new works of art which will inspire others to become more involved in the ADRLF mission. A highlight of this first benefit was a touching performance of the song, “The Man That Got Away,” by Ramirez. Kressley confides that “Al loved Sara’s talent and loved to hear her sing.”
Like many people, Ramirez did not know much about hepatitis or liver cancer prior to her friend’s diagnosis. “None of us knew Al had hepatitis all those years before,” she says.
She adds it was scary and overwhelming to learn of his cancer and then lose him so quickly, but that the board members are committed to carrying his spirit forward. “The fact that we’re all respectful of each other’s relationships with Al gives us a deeper connection to one another, particularly because most of us were with him when he was diagnosed and when he passed away.”
Sara says Al’s friends felt the impact of his struggle. “We don’t want anyone else to go through the kind of unnecessary pain and suffering that Al went through.”
Rodriguez and Ramirez enjoyed each other’s professional performances. He attended Sara’s stage productions where her talents garnered acclaim, such as in “Spamalot.” And he was a veteran performer in his own right with theater, television and film credits spanning two decades. The actor was part of the original cast of the long-running musical, “Born to Rumba,” in which his work was critically praised. He also returned in the stage sequel, “Beyond Born to Rumba.” Rodriguez had a long list of theater and television performances, as well as big screen appearances in the movie “Pinero” and the musical “The Producers.”
His talents also extended into the areas of web design and video editing. He served as the first video editor for the website Broadway.com. He even created and managed the official websites for his close friends, Ramirez and Kressley.
Ramirez was with the hard-working actor when he was forced to face a devastating medical prognosis. “I was in New York on hiatus and spent every minute I could with him before I had to go back to work in Los Angeles. Then, six short weeks later, I took a red eye back to New York because the doctor told me he didn’t have much time. I was with him when he passed.”
Creative Contributions
The board includes those in the medical, legal and entertainment fields, so members contribute their unique talents to the organization. “Sara and I are in the entertainment world, so we volunteer through that, doing whatever we can,” Kressley says. “Everyone on our board works diligently. If you think you are too busy to do something, you just remember Al. It’s time to pay it forward, as he did.”
The foundation is still looking for those with expertise in different areas, especially in the medical liver specialties. “Though some of the founding board members had known Al for 10 to 15 years, we’re a fledgling organization, welcoming creative volunteers,” explains Kressley. “Our mission statement is multi-faceted, but the main purpose of our work is to relay the message that hepatitis B and C make you so much more vulnerable to liver cancer. This is important work, since information is power.”
Ramirez has some words of advice for someone who has a friend with liver cancer. “Find a strong support system whether it is a family member, friend, or a therapist. Go to our Web site and any others you can find that have articles about the latest treatments. There are always heavy decisions to be made throughout someone’s journey with liver cancer, and you must surround yourself with people who will support you when things get frustrating or painful.”
She also recommends embracing some form of spiritual discipline during times when loved ones are ill and cautions, “we cannot take care of others if we are not taking care of ourselves.”
The foundation remains a top priority for her. “I am engaged in every part of the foundation’s process no matter what is going on with my career.”
She is firmly behind the organization’s plan’s to help provide hepatitis testing and vaccinations to those in need. Her goal is for many people to learn more about her friend, as they gain liver cancer awareness. “Please visit our website and learn about ADRLF,” Ramirez requests. “Also, if you want to give back through a charity, we would love to be on your donation list!”
As Kressley works on his latest television project, “True Beauty,” on ABC, he also remains fully dedicated to the ADRLF’s efforts. He adds that starting a foundation can help with the grief process. “What Al went through is devastating beyond words,” he says, “but something good came of his illness. Al was a giver. I intend to make him proud. I am a big dreamer, so when someone said let’s start a foundation, I said, ‘Sure!’ and we did.”
Kressley explains any foundation is just a group of people who share the common goal of wanting to make a difference. “We have an amazing board that is impassioned about honoring Al’s memory,” he says. “Carlos Ortiz is a tremendously organized and fearless leader. Our organization wants to make a difference in communities where people might not have health insurance. We want to provide others with options Al did not have.”
Ortiz says since the foundation is newly established, it is still in the initial stages of planning for cooperative endeavors with medical clinics and for its future growth.
Ramirez adds that, “We have been getting a wonderful response from those in the medical community, as well as from our own community of friends and colleagues.” She encourages anyone who is moved to join the ADRLF’s efforts to send an e-mail through the Web site.
Dr. Ortiz, Ramirez, Kressley and all the board members believe with determination, volunteer support, and a family of friends, amazing good can be done.
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